700 tons instead of 2000: Mykolaiv risks being left without road salt for the winter

In Mykolaiv there is a threat of a shortage of technical salt needed to combat ice in winter. None of the 7 suppliers with whom the municipal enterprise signed contracts were able to deliver the product. At the moment the city has only about 700 tonnes of salt against an estimated need of 2000 tonnes. This was reported on 4 August 2026 during a briefing at the city hall.

The director of the municipal enterprise “ELU Avtodorih” spoke about the problems preparing for the winter period: Vitaliy Shevchenko. According to him, the situation is complicated not only by funding problems but also by a general shortage of technical salt in Ukraine.

“You know the situation with the ports right now. None of the seven suppliers with whom contracts were signed were able to make the delivery,” – explained the head of the enterprise. 

Currently the municipal enterprise “ELU Avtodorih” is looking for alternative options and negotiating with small companies that could potentially supply the city with at least part of the required volume. From last winter season the enterprise’s warehouses have about 700 tonnes of salt left. At the same time, to fully maintain the city roads throughout the winter period about 2000 tonnes are needed. Thus, existing stocks cover only about one third of the estimated need.

The situation with sand is somewhat better. Vitaliy Shevchenko noted that if it is impossible to purchase the required amount of salt, the communal services could switch to more active use of sand mixtures.

“If we can’t buy salt, we make do with sand,” – said Vitaliy Shevchenko.

This option did not satisfy the city mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych. He reminded that after large-scale use of sand the city will have to remove significant volumes of dirt and mixture residues from the roads.

“You have to clear away the dunes,” – according to the mayor, the consequence of such spreading is an additional burden on the communal services.

Oleksandr Sienkevych urged the head of the municipal enterprise to make greater efforts to find technical salt and allowed the possibility of purchasing it outside usual supply channels. The mayor asked the director of the enterprise, if necessary, to look for salt “on the black market”.

Vitaliy Shevchenko in response stressed that difficulties in purchasing technical salt have arisen not only in Mykolaiv but also in other regions of Ukraine.

At the same time, during the meeting it was not clarified what exactly the mayor meant by purchasing “on the black market”, how such a proposal could comply with the requirements for the use of budget funds, and whether additional official procurements will be carried out.

The problem of the shortage of de-icing materials for Mykolaiv is especially acute after the harsh winter of 2025–2026. During the prolonged icy conditions the municipal workers used hundreds of tonnes of reagents in a short period, while residents of the Korablenyi District repeatedly complained about ungritted roads and sidewalks.

Earlier we wrote:

• They grit the whole city… and Korablenyi is again “off the route”?
• “The streets are very slippery”: Sienkevych asks to finish the working day earlier
• Ice in the city: Mykolaiv municipal workers reported on the fight
• Rain froze, the roads “slid”: Kim praised the road workers of Mykolaiv region
• Over 200 tonnes of reagents and cleared contact networks: Mykolaiv mobilizes communal services due to bad weather