The Transparent Cities program found that, in 2024, small and medium-sized towns in Ukraine (with populations of up to 200,000) included in the Transparency Ranking contracted advertising services worth over UAH 18.2 million. Zviahel City Council led in the total value of such contracts among towns with populations of up to 50,000, while Shostka City Council ranked first among towns with populations between 50,000 and 200,000.

Medium cities 

Out of 26 cities with populations between 50,000 and 200,000, 24 city councils procured advertising services in 2024, with the total value of contracts reaching UAH 13.6 million.

Shostka City Council is the top spender on advertising services. In 2024, it signed 39 contracts worth almost UAH 4.8 million. The largest amount—UAH 1.98 million—was allocated to the executive committee for services covering its activities on television. An additional UAH 233,400 was spent on “services to cover the activities of the Shostka City Council’s executive committee on the radio,” and UAH 600,000 was allocated for filming, editing, and publishing video materials on websites and social media pages. 

The Department of Culture and Tourism of the Shostka City Council signed contracts worth UAH 880,000 for services related to posting information in the media, including on television and online platforms. Also, the Department of Education of the Shostka City Council procured services worth UAH 589,000 for filming, editing, and publishing information in the media.

Boryspil City Council ranked second, procuring advertising services worth UAH 3.2 million in 2024. The executive committee allocated the majority of this amount—UAH 3.15 million—for covering the activities of local self-government bodies on radio and television.

Chornomorsk City Council closes the top three among medium-sized cities, having signed 13 contracts worth nearly UAH 959,800 in 2024. The largest contract—worth UAH 399,600—was for “displaying informational images,” while the remaining funds were used to provide media coverage of the city council’s activities and those of its municipal enterprises.

Small towns

The Transparency Ranking includes 50 small towns with populations of up to 50,000. In 2024, 37 city councils from these towns procured advertising services worth UAH 4.6 million.

Zviahel leads in the total value of advertising service contracts, with UAH 616,600 procured. The majority of this amount—UAH 400,000—was allocated by the executive committee of Zviahel City Council for television services covering the activities of local self-government bodies.

Romny City Council ranks second, having procured advertising services worth UAH 586,200. Most of the funds were allocated for procuring services to post information on the radio and to promptly inform the public about the activities of executive authorities and local self-government “by posting messages on the official website of the city council and communications on the radio.”

Vyshneve closes the top three, with contracts totaling UAH 459,800. The executive committee procured services for the production and placement of social information products for the same amount.

Transparent Cities encourages city councils to be more open, engage in dialogue with the public, preserve the memory of the war and its heroes, and focus on socially significant topics and a pro-Ukrainian information agenda. 

At the same time, experts point out that there are now many more affordable tools available for promoting municipal activities. They also emphasize that, during the war, excessive spending on advertising local government achievements may be perceived negatively by the public. Therefore, city councils should use budget funds responsibly and prioritize socially significant topics.

According to the Dozorro team, a total of UAH 521 million was contracted for advertising services through the Prozorro public procurement system in 2024. This is twice as much as in 2022. The top seven cities in terms of advertising procurement via Prozorro included the city councils of Dnipro, Kyiv, Kryvyi Rih, Kharkiv, Kamianske, Shostka, and Boryspil.