«We wish him every success», — The Supervisory Board stated that Telpis himself had wished to resign from the water utility. He denies this
- Alina Kvitko
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13:35, 24 June, 2026
The Supervisory Board of ‘Mykolaivvodokanal’ has responded to Telpis’s allegations of pressure and bullying. Illustration: NikVestiThe Supervisory Board of the municipal enterprise «Mykolaivvodokanal» has responded to written explanations from the company’s former technical director, Vasyl Telpis, in which he alleged psychological pressure, public humiliation and demands that he resign. The Supervisory Board stated that it does not agree with his version of events and believes that Vasyl Telpis himself wished to resign from the company.
This is stated in a statement issued by the water utility’s Supervisory Board.
At the same time, in a comment to NikVesti, Vasyl Telpis denied that he had wanted to resign from his post as technical director. He also confirmed that he had indeed personally signed the written explanations previously published by the company’s anti-corruption officer, Ihor Bloshko.
The Supervisory Board stated that Vasyl Telpis’s published explanations allegedly do not correspond to the communications they had with him from September 2025 to January 2026. They also expressed doubts that the text was consistent with his usual style of communication.
«We express our disappointment and regret regarding those individuals who drafted, or assisted in drafting, the statement by the esteemed Vasyl Telpis. In our opinion, this is not Mr Telpis’s usual style of communication at all,» the statement reads.
The Supervisory Board also noted that, during nearly six months of working together, they had not experienced any significant disagreements with Vasyl Telpis, and most tasks had been completed on time. Separately, they stated that whilst performing the duties of Chief Executive, he himself had allegedly repeatedly asked to be relieved of his leadership responsibilities as soon as possible, and his refusal to take part in the competition for the post of Chief Executive, in the Supervisory Board’s view, only confirms this.
The Supervisory Board also refuted Vasyl Telpis’s claims of psychological pressure, humiliation and bullying. The statement notes that members of the Supervisory Board are «shocked by the allegations of humiliation, psychological pressure or unprofessional behaviour», and that all meetings and sessions were allegedly held openly — with the participation of other company executives, the corporate secretary and other officials.
At the end of the statement, the Supervisory Board wished Vasyl Telpis every success in his new role.
«And we wish Vasyl Telpis every success in his new role and a long career in the water sector!» the statement reads.
Following this, journalists from NikVesti contacted Vasyl Telpis to clarify whether he had indeed signed the written explanations published by the company’s anti-corruption officer, Ihor Bloshko.
Vasyl Telpis confirmed that these were his statements.
«Yes, I signed them,» he said.
When asked if he wished to add anything to his statements, Vasyl Telpis replied:
«No. These are my statements. Honestly, it’s time to put an end to all this. I’m fed up with it.»
He also refuted the Supervisory Board’s claim that he himself had wanted to step down from a senior position at the water utility. According to Vasyl Telpis, the Supervisory Board is confusing the roles of chief executive and technical director.
«They’re confusing the general director with the technical director. After 2015, when I stepped down as general director, I was no longer in that role. I worked as technical director, that is, chief engineer. I never aspired to be a director. Even when there was a competition, I didn’t apply at all. I was interested in engineering work. They shouldn’t confuse the technical director with the general director,» said Vasyl Telpis.
Background: Vasyl Telpis is the former technical director of the Mykolaivvodokanal Municipal Utility Company, having worked for the organisation for over 40 years. He joined the water utility in 1985 after graduating from the Odesa Institute of Engineering and Construction with a degree in a specialism related to water supply and drainage, and rose through the ranks from process engineer at the municipal sewage treatment works to chief engineer, company director and technical director. His role at the water utility is significant, first and foremost, as an engineering manager involved in decisions crucial to Mykolaiv’s water supply: during his tenure, the city moved away from its dependence on the accident-prone Zhovtneve Reservoir and supplies via the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant to receiving water directly following the transfer of the «Dnipro–Mykolaiv» central water main to the municipality’s management. Vasyl Telpis was also involved in an investment project to restore water supply and sewerage services, under which, in 2005, the municipal utility secured a loan of 15.6 million euros and a grant of 3.4 million euros from the European Commission. Following the start of the full-scale invasion, when Mykolaiv was left without a centralised water supply from April 2022, he served as technical director and coordinated the establishment of a backup water supply to the city’s systems.
Earlier, the anti-corruption officer at the municipal utility «Mykolaivvodokanal», Ihor Bloshko, published written explanations from Vasyl Telpis, in which he describes the circumstances of his dismissal and alleges psychological pressure from the management following a change in the company’s leadership.
The explanations also referred to demands to write a letter of resignation, critical remarks made during video conferences and the subsequent formalisation of his dismissal by mutual agreement, which, according to Vasyl Telpis, affected his chances of being reinstated.
Earlier, the chair of the supervisory board, Hanna Montavon, had also stated that the supervisory board had no involvement in the personnel decision, whilst Chief Executive Hennadii Iziumov explained that the dismissal had been initiated by the supervisory board, and that a «amicable» agreement had allegedly been reached with Vasyl Telpis to terminate his employment by mutual consent.
Furthermore, NikVesti reported that in April, the new management of «Mykolaivvodokanal» dismissed the company’s technical director, Vasyl Telpis, who had worked for the water utility for over 40 years. In a comment to the publication at the time, he stated that he had submitted his resignation following a conversation with the new Chief Executive, Hennadii Iziumov, who, according to Vasyl Telpis, had told him that they «did not see a role for him in the organisation».