In Pivdennoukrainsk, staffing decisions and bonuses awarded by the Сity Сouncil will be agreed with the military administration

Pivdennoukrainsk City Council, December 2025. Photo: NikVesti

In Pivdennoukrainsk, the appointment and dismissal of heads of municipal enterprises, institutions and organisations, as well as changes to bonuses for officials of the city council’s executive bodies, will be subject to prior approval by the head of the city’s military administration. These rules are set out in the new procedure governing the interaction between the city council, its executive bodies and the military administration.

The relevant joint order was signed on 9 September by Ivan Kukhta, head of the Pivdennoukrainsk City Military Administration, and Valerii Onufriienko, the mayor.

The procedure will remain in force throughout the entire period of martial law and for a further 30 days after its termination.

Advertising

According to clause 14 of the document, prior approval from the head of the military administration will be required for the appointment and dismissal of heads of the city council’s executive bodies and their deputies, heads of structural units within the council’s secretariat and the executive committee, as well as heads of municipal enterprises, institutions and organisations.

This refers, in particular, to the heads of municipal enterprises, educational establishments, hospitals and other community institutions. The appointing authority must provide the military administration with information regarding the candidate.

Separate rules have been laid down regarding bonuses. The mayor must agree with the head of the military administration on disciplinary measures concerning officials of the council’s executive bodies, as well as on the setting or adjustment of the amount of their bonuses — whether this involves an increase above the base amount, a reduction or non-payment.

Furthermore, the city council must send the agenda for a plenary session to the military administration no later than seven calendar days before the session, whilst the executive committee must do so no later than three days in advance. In the event of an extraordinary session, the documents must be submitted immediately upon their preparation.

At the same time, on urgent matters relating to defence, public safety, civil protection, the management of the consequences of emergencies and the operation of critical infrastructure, the military administration may take decisions without prior proposals or approval from the city council or the executive committee.

The document also states that disagreements between the parties must be resolved through working-level consultations. However, the existence of such disagreements does not prevent the military administration from exercising its powers.

Screenshot of the new procedure for cooperation between the city council, its executive bodies and the military administration

It should be recalled that in August 2026, the head of the Pivdennoukrainsk City Military Administration, Ivan Kukhta, began making budgetary and tariff decisions independently, whilst the executive committee now merely takes note of the information. Earlier, in July 2026, Vitalii Kim, head of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration, introduced Kukhta to the council members and military leadership, setting the task of enhancing the community’s defence capabilities. At the same time, the President of Ukraine signed a decree establishing the Pivdennoukrainsk City Military Administration.

Prior to that, in early July 2026, we reported how a city with a strategic nuclear power station found itself on the brink of having a military administration established due to prolonged conflicts within the city authorities: city council sessions had not been held since February, and a Danish grant of 5.2 million euros was under threat. Back in May 2026, Kim submitted documents to President Zelenskyy to establish the administration, whilst in April 2026, MP Artem Chornomorov spoke out against the idea, describing the pressure on the community as unacceptable.

Even earlier, in December 2025, the regional military administration saw no legal grounds for introducing military administration in Pivdennoukrainsk, although the then mayor, Valerii Onufriienko, had requested it, and councillors had failed on three occasions to convene and adopt the 2026 budget.