Illegal felling of trees: Director of the National Park in Volyn is served with a notice of suspicion

Illegal felling of trees: Director of the National Park in Volyn is served with a notice of suspicion shutterstock

Elizaveta Volkotrub

Damages to the state exceed UAH 16.5 million

In Volyn region, the director of the Kivertsi National Nature Park "Tsumanska Pushcha" was served a notice of suspicion of illegal felling of trees worth over UAH 16.5 million.

According to the investigation, in July 2023, the official, together with the owner of one of the Volyn woodworking enterprises, illegally cut down trees on the territory of the Tsumanska Pushcha reserve, which led to losses to the state budget, the press service of the Volyn Regional Prosecutor's Office reports on Facebook.

It is known that they involved hired workers who were unaware of the illegality of such actions.

Also, the official's accomplice, the owner of a woodworking company, was notified of suspicion of illegal felling of trees in the territory of the nature reserve fund, which entailed serious consequences (Part 4 of Article 246 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The issue of removing the park director from office and choosing a preventive measure is currently being decided.

As EcoPolitic previously reported, in Odesa region, employees of the State Bureau of Investigation brought to court the case of the head of one of the branches of the state enterprise "Forests of Ukraine", who organized the illegal felling of more than 1500 trees in the territory of the national natural park. The damage caused by the destruction of the trees amounted to UAH 145 million.

Related
A 2,400-hectare forest fire is raging along the northern border with Russia. Firefighting efforts are impossible due to shelling.
A 2,400-hectare forest fire is raging along the northern border with Russia. Firefighting efforts are impossible due to shelling.

Forestry equipment must operate under electronic warfare cover to avoid being struck by enemy drones

The forest fire in Zakarpattia has been contained. The fire was intensified by an abnormal drought
The forest fire in Zakarpattia has been contained. The fire was intensified by an abnormal drought

The fire spread across approximately 75 hectares. It was even necessary to use aircraft to extinguish the blaze

The world is losing its tropical forests, albeit at a slower rate. What does the war in Ukraine have to do with this?
The world is losing its tropical forests, albeit at a slower rate. What does the war in Ukraine have to do with this?

Brazil is an example of how, with political will, deforestation can be significantly reduced

Illegal logging is taking place—but there is no comprehensive data: government agencies have taken a stance
Illegal logging is taking place—but there is no comprehensive data: government agencies have taken a stance

While institutions are trying to figure out who to hold accountable, the logging continues, with no way to track its scale or the effectiveness of efforts to stop it