In Kryvyi Rih, half of the city — over 250,000 people, dozens of businesses and critical infrastructure facilities — was left without heating in the winter. As it turned out, the cause was a criminal scheme organized by former managers of the local state-owned heat and power enterprise.
This was reported by the National Police of Ukraine, publishing details of the investigation.
According to the investigation, brass tubes were deliberately removed from 1,140 water heaters — valuable parts that were later scrapped. To hide the evidence of tampering, empty spaces in the equipment were filled with foreign objects — including clothing — and returned to their places, creating the illusion that the system was working.
The total amount of damage reached almost 30 million hryvnias. As a result, the entire heating system failed during the heating season.
Law enforcement officers have already reported suspicions to ten individuals, including two former officials who, according to the investigation, were the organizers of the crime.
It is worth noting that in the winter, official sources explained the lack of heat by network failures and a shortage of personnel due to mobilization. However, it has now emerged that the real reasons lay in the systematic theft of equipment.
The investigation is ongoing, and the city's residents expect fair punishment for those responsible for the man-made disaster that endangered people's health and lives.
