Why the government pays the managers of ruined airports: an unexpected explanation
4 April 12:19
Despite the closed airspace and the virtual absence of civilian air traffic, the government continues to fund the management of part of the airport infrastructure. This does not involve operational activities, but rather the maintenance of asset status, licenses, and basic readiness for resumption of operations.
Delo.ua analyzed the electronic declarations of Ukrainian airport executives for 2025–2024, reports "Komersant Ukrainian".
Salaries of managers of destroyed airports
| Manager | Airport | 2024 (UAH/year) | 2025 (UAH/year) | Difference (UAH) | Difference (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volodymyr Berko | “Mykolaiv International Airport” | 547,091 | 547,158 | 67 | 0.01% |
| Ihor Zvanchuk | Kherson International Airport | 447,096 | 420,799 | −26,297 | −5.88% |
| Vladislav Blyznyuk | S.S. Prokofiev Donetsk International Airport | 309,936 | 308,594 | −1,342 | −0.43% |
Vladimir Berko , acting director of the Mykolaiv International Airport municipal enterprise, earned 547,158 UAH in 2025 (about 45,597 UAH per month), which is 67 UAH more than in 2024.
In 2024, Vitaliy Kim, head of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration, explained that Berko performs his duties and receives a corresponding salary to ensure the enterprise does not lose its license, as reinstating it would cost many times more.
“He maintains a minimum staff to avoid losing the operating license; if we lay off the people currently there, we will lose the license, and restoring it would cost many times more,” Kim stated.
Mykolaiv Airport suffered devastating shelling in 2022 as a result of Russia’s invasion.
Ihor Zvanchuk, the acting director of Kherson International Airport—which was destroyed in 2022 —continues to receive a salary; in 2025, he earned 420,799 UAH (about 35,067 UAH per month), which is 26,297 UAH less than in 2024.
The destroyed Kherson Airport is located in the village of Chornobaivka.
Acting CEO of the Donetsk International Airport named after S.S.Vladislav Blyzniuk received a salary of 308,594 UAH (about 25,716 UAH per month) in 2025, which is 1,342 UAH less than the previous year.
According to YouControl, Donetsk Airport’s profit last year was 2.3 million UAH, and in 2024—8.6 million UAH. The number of employees is 387.
MP Dmytro Gurin explained that the municipal enterprise “Donetsk Airport” has on its balance sheet a recreation center used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine and warehouses with property in safekeeping, for which the enterprise receives regular payments. The enterprise does not receive funds from the budget.
The S.S. Prokofiev Donetsk International Airport is registered in Sloviansk.
The Situation with Ukraine’s Airspace
Ukraine’s airspace has been closed to civilian flights since February 24, 2022, so there are currently no regular civilian flights.
Ukrainian authorities periodically raise the issue of preparing airports for the resumption of operations. In 2023, there was considerable discussion about the possibility of resuming air service from Kyiv and Lviv. However, no high-ranking officials provided specific timelines, as this also depends on decisions by international partners, independent regulators, insurance companies, and ensuring the physical safety of flights.
In late October 2024, Ukraine presented a roadmap for the partial reopening of its airspace.
In March of this year, the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development established a working group to prepare for the resumption of airport operations.
However, Ukraine’s Minister of Community and Territorial Development Oleksiy Kuleba recently told DW Ukraine that the airspace will not be opened in the near future due to the security situation caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion.
