An environmental time bomb near Mykolaiv has no funding, while the director of MGZ declared nearly 14 million in salary

The state LLC “Mykolaiv Alumina Plant” refused to provide journalists with information about the salary of its head Oleksiy Anatoliyovych Medvid, citing that the enterprise operates on the principles of self-financing and does not receive funds from the budget. The editorial office sent a request regarding the director’s salary on 20 January 2026 through the State Property Fund of Ukraine, however, the plant itself stated that it could not respond on the merits because it had not received the text of the request, and also advised to look for information in the open declarations register.

However, the Unified State Register of Declarations does contain data on the head’s income. According to the annual declaration for 2024 , filed on 17 March 2025, Oleksiy Anatoliyovych Medvid received from LLC “Mykolaiv Alumina Plant” 13 946 666 UAH in salary. His wife Tetiana Medvid declared 31 932 UAH in pension. The declaration also notes significant cash assets — 246 000 US dollars in cash.

These figures look particularly stark against the real condition of the enterprise. MGZ has in fact not been operating since February 2022 after the start of the full-scale war, and now the state is preparing it for sale. According to materials korabelov.info, in 2026 the plant was included in the list of objects planned for priority privatization, and the State Property Fund of Ukraine is already searching for a potential buyer for this asset.

Along with the plant, the new owner will inherit one of the region’s most dangerous industrial legacies — the tailings fields. Over the years of the plant’s operation, more than 47–48 million tonnes of toxic red sludge have accumulated there over an area of about 400 hectares. Ecologists have long called these dumps “an ecological bomb” near Mykolaiv, because surface drying leads to dusting, and strong winds can carry the poisonous dust for tens of kilometers.

At the same time, according to korabelov.info, in 2026 the enterprise had already reported a possible shortage of funds to service the tailings fields. To keep them in a safe condition, continuous operation of pumping stations and irrigation systems is required to prevent the wastes from drying out and to stop toxic particles from entering the air.

Thus, while the state plant is not operating, is being prepared for privatization and at the same time requires funds to maintain potentially dangerous dumps, its head declared almost 14 million hryvnias in annual salary. The company officially refused to confirm the exact amount of this salary to journalists.

In a response to the online publication “NikVesti” dated 06 March 2026 and signed by acting CEO Oleksiy Anatoliyovych Medvid, the company explained its position regarding the non-disclosure of the salary.

“Since the company is an independent economic entity whose activities are carried out on the principles of full cost recovery and self-financing, does not receive funding from the State Budget, and therefore has the right to independently and without agreeing with anyone determine the size and procedure for calculating and paying wages… Additionally, we inform you that the requested information can be obtained from the public part of the Unified State Register of Declarations…”

Previously we wrote:

• Mykolaiv Alumina Plant to be among the first put up for privatization
• MGZ is running out of money to service the tailings fields – a new environmental threat?
• The State Property Fund is looking for a buyer for the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant who is not afraid of war
• MGZ will go under the hammer: in spring the government launches the sale of sanctioned Russian assets
• While MGZ’s tailings fields are without water and without money, Vitaliy Kim talks about the plant’s future