Illegal logging in the Markhalivskyi forest near Kyiv to build a military memorial cemetery continues despite the ruling of the Court of Appeal, which on January 16 confirmed the illegality of the government's resolution to allow logging in this area.
This was reported on Facebook by activists of the Kyiv Ecological and Cultural Center (KECC), which has been suing the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine since last year over Resolution No. 225 “Some issues of removing trees, shrubs, lawns and flower beds during preparatory and/or construction work and operation of the National Military Memorial Cemetery” of 01.03.2024.
Photo: facebook.com/kekz.ua.
The KECC reminded that on January 16, 2025, the panel of judges of the Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal recognized this resolution as “illegal and invalid.” Earlier, the activists stated that it allowed “practically unimpeded and barbaric demolition of tens of hectares of forest near the village of Markhalivka for a military cemetery.”
Photo: facebook.com/kekz.ua.
Natural defenders said that on January 19, after the decision of the Court of Appeal, the felling in the Markhalivskyi forest continued. As evidence, they posted photos from there.
Activists suggest that the Memorial Military Cemetery Directorate contributes to these illegal actions or even their customer.
"We hope that the police, the ecological prosecutor's office and the eco-inspection of the capital district will respond to this illegal and naked demarsh of the march loggers of Markhalivsky forest,"-said in the Ketz.
This story began in late July 2024. Then activists of the Kyiv Ecological and Cultural Center sued the government over what they considered to be illegal Resolution 225, which allows the demolition of trees to build a military memorial cemetery.
EcoPolitics also wrote that the KECC accused officials of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine of trying to destroy 270 hectares of the Markhaliv forest in order to sell the wood and make a profit of UAH 80 million.
On September 25, 2024, the Kyiv District Administrative Court declared illegal the Ukrainian government's Resolution No. 225, which allowed massive logging of the Markhaliv forest near Kyiv for a military memorial cemetery.
On January 16 of this year, the Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal also confirmed the illegality of the resolution.
