Mykolaiv Oblast Council loses footage of deputy commission meeting

The Mykolaiv Oblast Council failed to publish the footage of the Oblast Commission on Housing and Communal Services meeting where deputies agreed on a social tariff on electricity for Mykolaiv residents and communities of the oblast.

The Oblast Council says that the footage of the March 26 online meeting was lost due to a technical failure, MykVisti reports.

According to the media outlet, the Oblast Council usually livestreams deputy commission meetings on YouTube, but this time neither the livestream nor the recording of the meeting was uploaded.

In a comment to the media outlet, the Oblast Council's head of staff, Tetyana Labartkava, said that the commission had indeed taken place via video conference, but that there had been a technical failure in the recording, which made it impossible to publish it. She added that there is no audio recording of the meeting either.

“Due to a technical error, the footage was not saved, so it cannot be published. This is the first time such a technical error has occurred. Usually, commission meetings have audio and video recording, but this time a failure occurred when downloading the files. The agenda stated that the meeting would be held in the deputy room with the commission curator present. All deputies were working remotely,” explained Tetyana Labartkava.

In a comment to the regional Institute of Mass Information representative Kateryna Sereda, IMI lawyer Volodymyr Zelenchuk stressed that not providing the footage of a meeting is a violation of current law.

“Since August 14, 2024, local councils have been required to store and publish video footage of standing committee meetings. The video must be stored for at least five years and published immediately after the meeting ends — no later than the next day — on the Council's official website or in another way that ensures open access,” Volodymyr Zelenchuk noted.

He added that these requirements are outlined in the laws “On Local Self-Government” and “On Access to Public Information.” In the event of violation, officials may be held administratively or disciplinary liable.

“Overall, posting recordings of commission meetings publicly is part of the Council's general obligation as an information manager, to publish open information as prescribed by the Law 'On Access to Public Information'. Local government bodies and officials are liable if they violate the Constitution or laws of Ukraine. Article 212-3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses provides for fines for failure to publish mandatory information: 425 to 850 hryvnias. But disciplinary action is also possible for failure to perform official duties. Conducting an internal investigation is the minimum necessary step on the part of the Council's management in such a case," added the IMI lawyer.

As for administrative liability, authorized persons of the Secretariat or representatives of the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights may draw up a report on the offense and submit it to court. Disciplinary action may be taken against the guilty official based on an official investigation.

“At least conducting the investigation and providing the public with the results would be an indicator of whether the top management of the Council or its executive body are really properly performing their official duties,” said Volodymyr Zelenchuk.

In the fall of 2024, the website of the Mykolaiv Oblast Council sustained a DDoS attack.