The court is once again hearing the case regarding the controversial construction of the UPG gas station in Kryvyi Rih
6 May 17:27
The legal saga in Kryvyi Rih surrounding YUPIDJI LLC has taken a new turn. This is a Ukrainian company registered in 2014 and linked to the well-known UPG gas station chain, which is being developed by Volodymyr Petrenko. So while the fuel giant expands its network with hundreds of stations across the country, Kryvyi Rih residents continue to fight for the right to a safe neighborhood. At the heart of the conflict is not just a commercial facility, but a dilemma: whether it is permissible to build a full-scale gas station under the guise of an ordinary store and café.
This issue has once again become the subject of review in the Dnipropetrovsk District Administrative Court. The case regarding the revocation of urban planning conditions for UPIDGI LLC has returned for a new hearing following the Supreme Court’s verdict. Will the judicial system be able to protect residents’ right to a safe environment? Find out in this article "Komersant Ukrainian".
Legal manipulation or “new construction”?
The conflict erupted over Order No. 58 of the Kryvyi Rih City Council’s Department of Urban Planning, which authorized the design of a “multifunctional complex.” However, as noted in the court ruling, the plaintiff points to a deliberate substitution of terms by the developer:
“The plaintiff states that due to the concealment by the Limited Liability Company ‘YUPIDJI’ of its actual intentions regarding the construction of a gas station and a gas filling station on the land plot—whose designated purpose is 03.07 for the construction and maintenance of commercial buildings—when submitting an application for urban planning conditions and restrictions, the specified urban planning conditions and their restrictions are unlawful.”
In addition to the non-compliance with the land’s designated purpose, the lawsuit addresses a real threat to public safety. According to the case materials:
“The issued urban planning conditions contain numerous violations of fire safety and sanitary requirements, which may negatively affect the plaintiff, his property, and people surrounding this facility.”
The legal battle has been ongoing for two years. Although in 2025 the courts of first and appellate instance sided with the community and revoked the permits, on March 31, 2026, the Supreme Court decided to remand the case for reconsideration.
Currently, Judge Roman Golobutovsky has taken Case No. 160/11415/24 into his docket. In a ruling dated April 20, 2026, the court ordered:
“To accept for consideration the administrative case… based on the complaint filed by PERSON_1 against the Department of Urban Planning and Land Relations of the Executive Committee of the Kryvyi Rih City Council… regarding the recognition as unlawful and the revocation of urban planning conditions and restrictions.”
The judge also emphasized the complexity of the case, scheduling it for consideration under the rules of general civil proceedings:
“General civil proceedings are intended for cases that, due to their complexity or other circumstances, are not suitable for consideration under simplified civil proceedings.”
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When can we expect a decision?
A new phase in the fight for the safety of urban space will begin as early as May. The preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 12, 2026, at 10:20 a.m. Location: Dnipro, 4 Akademika Yangelya St., Courtroom No. 16.
The Kryvyi Rih community expects the court to properly assess the developer’s “concealment of intentions” so that dangerous structures do not spring up under residents’ windows under the guise of administrative buildings.
As a reminder, in 2025, the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) granted the company permission to acquire 16 gas stations that belonged to the “Privat” group. These facilities are located in the Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv, Rivne, and Volyn regions. Once the deal is finalized, the network will grow to 506 gas stations.
This is just part of the global plan of the group’s founder, Volodymyr Petrenko, who aims to transform ordinary gas stations into comfortable hubs with restaurants and large stores. Between July and October 2025 alone, the company received permission to lease an additional 349 stations under the ANP and Avias brands. According to Petrenko, the expansion is financed exclusively with the company’s own funds, and the strategy for the next 5–6 years calls for a complete modernization and expansion of the infrastructure.
However, the standoff in Kryvyi Rih is becoming a litmus test for the entire urban planning control system. Will the courts allow big business to build fuel empires under the guise of “administrative buildings,” or will the safety of city residents take precedence over the ambition to become a market leader? Only time and the court’s decision will tell.
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