EcoPolitic journalists have collected the most damaging cases of environmental damage over the past week from October 18 to 24.
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In Mykolaiv, the Dubky tract was found to have damaged trees with environmental damage of more than UAH 2 million.
In the protected Dubky tract in Mykolaiv, inspectors from the State Environmental Inspectorate of the Southwest District found damage to 58 trees of various species. In particular, the inspectors noticed the illegal felling of three trees in the tract without the appropriate permits.
Photo: derzhecoinspekciya
Experts estimated the damage to the tract at UAH 2.4 million. The perpetrators are currently being sought. The inspectors handed over the materials on the violation to law enforcement agencies.
Photo: derzhecoinspekciya
According to Article 30 of the Law of Ukraine “On the Nature Reserve Fund of Ukraine”, any logging, including sanitary or health-improving felling, is prohibited within protected areas.
Photo: derzhecoinspekciya
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In Kyiv region, poachers caught fish worth more than UAH 3 million in the exclusion zone.
Within the Chornobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve, law enforcement officers exposed two employees of a private enterprise who were engaged in illegal fishing.
According to the investigation, the men, aged 47 and 59, were traveling on a boat without a GPS tracker, and later entered the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone without proper permission. They began using 17 fishing nets to catch fish within the Kyiv Reservoir. Experts estimated the environmental damage at over UAH 3 million.
Photo: suspilne.media/kyiv
The offenders were served a notice of suspicion under Article 249(1) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal fishing with significant damage) and Article 15(3)(3) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of the radiation safety regime with the aim of moving the caught fish without control).
The offenders face imprisonment for up to 5 years.
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Environmental inspection officials will be tried in Donetsk region for misappropriation of over UAH 1.5 million.
Employees of the State Bureau of Investigation have completed a pre-trial investigation into the case of illegal embezzlement of budget funds allocated for labor remuneration at the environmental inspection of Donetsk region. The head of the environmental inspection of Donetsk region and the chief accountant of this institution are accused.
According to the investigation, after the start of the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation, officials introduced remote work and paid a salary to one of the department heads. But the official had previously left for Russia and could not perform his duties.
By agreement with the ecological inspectorate employees, the head who had left for Russia returned part of the money he received, and the officials entered false information about his work. As a result of this scheme, the state suffered losses of at least UAH 1.6 million.
The Head of the Inspectorate and the Chief Accountant face punishment under Art. 27(2), (3), (5) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, Art. 191, (2), (3) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, Art. 27, (3), (28, (1) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (embezzlement of property on a large scale by abuse of office and position committed by an organized group under martial law. In particular, the official entered false information into official documents).
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A large-scale illegal sand extraction from the Kremenchuk reservoir was exposed in Cherkasy region.
In Cherkasy region, law enforcement officers halted the illegal dredging of more than 30,000 tons of sand in the waters of the Kremenchuk Reservoir.
Photo: pgo_gov_ua
According to the investigation, the work was carried out outside the authorized area, about half a kilometer from the shore. A powerful dredger with a 150 horsepower engine was used for illegal mining, which could pump out up to 250 cubic meters of sand per hour.
Photo: pgo_gov_ua
The extracted sand was transported to the shore via a slurry pipeline, where it was sold to businesses and individuals, mostly for cash, without paying taxes and royalties for subsoil use.
The investigation added that the criminal scheme was organized by a local entrepreneur who involved technical staff, accountants and persons responsible for preparing fake documentation. During the searches, law enforcement officers seized a dredger, special equipment, mobile phones, accounting documents and sand samples for examination.
Photo: pgo_gov_ua
The pre-trial investigation is ongoing under Part 3 of Art. 240 (illegal mining) and Part 2 of Art. 209 (legalization of the proceeds of crime) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The defendant faces imprisonment for up to 8 years with confiscation of property and a ban on carrying out activities related to the use of subsoil.
Photo: pgo_gov_ua
As a reminder, the Prosecutor's Office of Zakarpattia Oblast secured a UAH 10.3 million judgment against the state enterprise Forests of Ukraine for damage caused by illegal felling of trees in a protected area.
In particular, we recommend that you read about the fact that the director of a quarry in Khmelnytsky region illegally extracted limestone worth UAH 240 million.
