DOT Monitoring for November: Planned Tenders for 2026, Unsuccessful Fuel and Helmet Procurements

Information current as of 9 December 2025.

– In November, the State Logistics Operator (DOT) announced 127 tenders totalling UAH 16.12 billion. Of these, 58% were for the procurement of material equipment for 2026.

– Throughout the month, 37 contracts totalling UAH 15.04 billion were concluded. Almost all of this amount was allocated to food rations at an average price of UAH 128.

– The procurement of arctic diesel fuel worth UAH 2.8 billion was unsuccessful during November due to narrowing import routes and logistical disruptions.

– Similarly, the procurement of 40,000 ballistic helmets was unsuccessful due to a lack of bids. Two key suppliers, TEMP-3000 LLC and KM DISTI LLC, did not participate in the tender.

– The procurement of shirts and summer field caps in the MM-25 pattern, totalling UAH 19.7 million, was won by three related suppliers in Kharkiv.

– With an expected cost and contract price of UAH 31,980 per set, this is the most expensive procurement to date. At this price, the DOT contracted 4,500 body armour sets in configuration 1–5 from UKRTAK.UA LLC.

In November, the DOT announced a total of 127 tenders (158 lots) with an expected value of UAH 16.12 billion. The largest share (UAH 9.46 billion) was allocated for the procurement of material equipment. According to the MoD, 80% of the requirements for material equipment in 2026 are expected to have been contracted by the end of the year. Almost all procurements (99.9%) were initiated through a simplified procedure, with 74 companies participating in tenders throughout the month, 51 of which were material equipment suppliers. Meanwhile, the average number of bids per tender was 1.62.

In November, the agency concluded 37 contracts totalling UAH 15.04 billion, which resulted from tenders announced in October and earlier. The DOT spent over 98% (UAH 14.82 billion) of the funds on food supplies. Material equipment expenditure amounted to UAH 208.72 million (1.3%), whilst expenditure on other goods and services accounted for UAH 8.94 million (0.06%). Meanwhile, the agency did not conclude any contracts in the POL category.

Notably, in tenders announced in October, the DOT planned to procure food products worth UAH 37 billion (UAH 171.5 per pack). The deliveries are scheduled for government-controlled regions, including Kyiv region, where a catering pilot scheme has been in place since 2024.

This is the first time that the DOT has procured a year’s worth of food supplies in advance. Previously, procurements were conducted separately for each six-month period.

In contrast to May, the DOT has not imposed restrictions prohibiting a single participant from winning more than one lot. Although the contracting authority previously justified this on the grounds of avoiding logistical disruption, the absence of this requirement has enabled cheaper contracts to be concluded. Overall, as of mid-December, 16 contracts totalling UAH 27.5 billion had been signed for all the lots that had been announced. However, some participants disagree with the DOT’s decisions and are appealing to the courts to overturn them. In particular, MEAT PROM, a company affiliated with Tetiana Hlyniana, has challenged the victory of FLAVACOR LLC, allegedly due to a lack of warehouse facilities. FLAVACOR LLC has filed an appeal with the court.

The largest sums among food suppliers for 2026 are currently contracted to GRANITE INVEST LLC (UAH 4.12 billion), which was previously fined for supplying expired tinned goods to military personnel in Donetsk Oblast; and BUSKY CANNERY LLC (UAH 3.23 billion), which is featured in a State Bureau of Investigation criminal proceeding concerning collusion in procuring substandard food at inflated prices.

Amongst the November tenders, the DOT also procured 627,865 sets of combat rations (menus No. 1–14), totalling UAH 260.12 million. Specifically, contracts were signed with:

– YUSMAK LLC: 334,488 rations at an average price of UAH 394.71

– PARTNER UKRAINE LLC: 163,072 rations at an average price of UAH 431.84

– YUSMAK LLC: 334,488 rations at an average price of UAH 394.71

Overall, eight companies were awarded contracts for food products in November. The largest sum was received by TRADE GRANITE INVEST LLC.

Material Equipment

The DOT concluded six contracts totalling UAH 208.72 million for the procurement of material equipment. Overall savings amounted to UAH 2.65 million.

For comparison, the weighted average price of a body armour set in basic configuration 1–5 was approximately UAH 27,158 in 2024 and UAH 21,954 in H1 2025. However, UKRTAK.UA LLC’s average supply price in 2024 was UAH 25,388 per body armour set; this figure had risen to UAH 31,980 by 2025. Further details on pricing dynamics can be found in the StateWatch study.

The DOT also signed contracts for the supply of MM-25 camouflage uniforms for 2026, worth UAH 64.81 million. Specifically, 10,000 units were purchased under each contract: winter special suits from MIK LLC (UAH 4,289.7 per unit); combat shirts from PE Kriuchkov Bohdan Volodymyrovych (UAH 889.92 per unit); and combat shirts from SENS’SMART LLC (UAH 888.96 per unit). Additionally, 10,000 summer field caps were purchased from PE Kriuchkova Iryna Serhiivna (UAH 222.7 per unit) and PE Osokyn Yevhenii Serhiiovych (UAH 189.97 per unit).

PE Bohdan Kriuchkov and SENS’SMART LLC participated together in the procurement of MM-25 pattern shirts, despite being connected through family relationships. In the first lot, SENS’SMART LLC submitted a lower bid but failed to upload all the required documents. Consequently, the contracting authority rejected the bid and concluded a contract with PE Bohdan Kriuchkov, whose price was UAH 500,000 higher. The situation in the second lot was reversed: this time, the PE submitted the lowest price but without all the necessary certificates. As a result, his bid was rejected, and the contract was awarded to SENS’SMART LLC. Notably, in his tender submission, PE Bohdan Kriuchkov listed the facilities of SENS’SMART LLC as his material and technical resources. The combined overpayment across both lots amounted to approximately UAH 1 million.

PE Iryna Kriuchkova, who will supply summer field caps, and apparently her son Bohdan Kriuchkov are registered at the same address in Kharkiv. Kriuchkova and Kharkiv-based SENS’SMART LLC, owned by Iryna’s husband Volodymyr Kriuchkov, signed contracts with the DOT for the first time in November. Meanwhile, Volodymyr Kriuchkov had previously concluded contracts with the agency as a PE, totalling UAH 252.89 million for material equipment.

The Kriuchkov family also owns a number of other companies operating in the material equipment manufacturing sector. Notably, Iryna owns INTEKST PE, where Volodymyr Kriuchkov serves as director; this enterprise has won UAH 3.26 million in public procurement contracts. Additionally, the telephone number registered to PE Bohdan Volodymyrovych Kriuchkov matches the contact number of INTEKST PE, which belongs to Volodymyr Kriuchkov.

Unsuccessful tenders

Fuel procurements accounted for the largest share of unsuccessful tenders. Of the 17 lots announced, 13 were unsuccessful due to a lack of bidders. These were for the procurement of 63,390 tonnes of arctic diesel, with a total expected value of UAH 2.8 billion (UAH 44,489 per tonne), scheduled for delivery in early 2026.

According to the A-95 Consulting Group, fuel procurements failed in November against the backdrop of a sharp deterioration in the physical availability of diesel fuel. Following the destruction of the Kremenchuk oil refinery, Ukraine has become entirely dependent on imports. However, up to 25% of import supplies have been lost since 1 October due to the cessation of shipments from the Romanian port of Constanza without the establishment of alternative routes.

The market was under additional pressure due to reduced supplies from the Hungarian oil refining company MOL, maintenance shutdowns at the Lithuanian Orlen Lietuva refinery, complications in river logistics and increased competition for import volumes on the European market. In October, by contrast, the agency procured 87,700 tonnes of Arctic diesel from UKRNAFTA JSC at an average price of UAH 38,037.4 per tonne, compared to an expected price of UAH 44,910. However, the company did not participate in the tenders in November.

Furthermore, two procurements totalling 14,000 tonnes of jet engine fuel, valued at UAH 657 million (UAH 46,953 per tonne), were unsuccessful.

In the material equipment segment, the procurement of 40,000 ballistic helmets (UAH 8,518.62 per unit) was unsuccessful due to insufficient bids. In previous periods, the market was dominated by two companies: KM DISTI LLC (88.43%) and TEMP-3000 LLC (11.57%), whilst competition remained low.

In December, the agency re-announced tenders for the helmets, increasing the expected cost to UAH 9,321.41 per unit. Following this, KM DISTI LLC and TEMP-3000 LLC returned to the procedure as the main participants.

Separately, five of the seven lots for the procurement of adaptive underwear for wounded personnel were unsuccessful. Three lots for 50,000 pairs of trousers (UAH 435.94 per pair) and two lots for 45,000 vests (UAH 267.56 per vest) totalling UAH 33.8 million concluded without receiving any bids.

Similarly, tenders for 725,000 sets of mid-season underwear (UAH 355 per set) were unsuccessful. Despite the expected cost being reduced compared to the peak price in September (UAH 412), the delivery timescale was extended from 3 to 9-11 months. Consequently, thermal underwear remains the category with the lowest rate of successfully concluded contracts.

Additionally, procurements across seven lots totalling 803,495 combat rations (menus No. 1–14) at UAH 416.86 per unit were unsuccessful. In November, the DOT announced ten lots totalling over 1.18 million ration sets for procurement, with delivery planned by the end of March 2026. In most lots, only one participant, DIGITEL LLC, submitted a bid.

Although DIGITEL succeeded in concluding three contracts in December, its other bids were rejected due to non-compliance with documentation requirements. Specifically, the participant failed to provide certificates confirming the absence of tax debts. It is worth noting that DIGITEL does not possess its own production facilities and effectively operates as an intermediary, assembling ration sets from pre-existing components supplied by 10 different manufacturers.

Recommendations based on the analysis of challenges in November 2025

For the DOT:

1. Develop mechanisms for engaging alternative suppliers and routes to ensure stability of fuel supply.

2. Identify indicators of collusion between tender participants prior to the conclusion of procedures and implement preventive measures against the artificial inflation of winning bids.

3. Develop separate category strategies for food, material equipment, and POL, taking into account seasonal requirements, forecast volumes, and the specific characteristics of each category.

DOT procurement monitoring has been supported by the Office of the United Kingdom’s Special Defence Advisor and delivered by EDGE Foundation and StateWatch Think Tank