An audit has uncovered that Ukrzaliznytsia purchased Russia-manufactured gears worth about UAH 25 million from a Polish company via the ProZorro electronic public procurement system. In addition, used components were supplied instead of new.

Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Yurii Lavreniuk announced this in an interview with the Holos Stolytsy radio, the CFTS reports.

"Gears are being procured from a Polish company, the official documents are shown, an application for the competition was filed, and the competition was won. Ukrzaliznytsia buys from them and what do we see in the end? When Ukrzaliznytsia received these gears, a separate test established that they were manufactured in Ryazan and that the quality certificate is Russian. Not only that, they were also in use. Certain Ukrzaliznytsia officials accepted these goods under an agreement with a particular company," Lavreniuk said. According to him, the investigation into the case is continuing.

At the same time, he said that the electronic procurement system has thus far saved Ukrzaliznytsia hundreds of millions of hryvnia and the Ukrzaliznytsia’s head Wojciech Balczun needs time to study the situation, look into all areas, and eradicate corruption.

As the CFTS portal previously reported, the head of the Southwestern Railway’s Fastiv railcar depot was dismissed in the spring and the head of the railway’s logistics service was reprimanded because of fraud during a tender for supply of gears.