Construction work on the mini-hydroelectric power plant on the Teresva River is prohibited until the court makes a final decision on two land plots.
This was reported by the publication Varosh.
Background to the court proceedings
In 2018, Hydroresurs-Teresva LLC obtained permits to construct hydraulic structures, but their legality raised questions among the community and environmentalists. According to Varosh, lawyer Natalia Maistrenko believes that they violate a number of legislative requirements—environmental, land, and even sanitary.
In 2023, Hydroresurs-Teresva LLC received two land plots on the Teresva River by decision of the Dubivska village council.
Representing the community of the village of Kalyny, the head of the Carpathian League of Veterans NGO, Volodymyr Tsubera, filed a lawsuit to ban construction work. The Tyachiv court denied the claim, but the Transcarpathian Court of Appeals reviewed the decision and sided with the community.
Representatives of Hydroresource and the Dubivska Council were not present at the hearing, having sought its postponement the day before. However, the court saw these actions as an attempt to delay the process.
Community’s stance
According to the attorney, residents of Kalyny take round-the-clock shifts to prevent the developer’s equipment from accessing the plots. They had to set up a tent because there is no longer any shade at the site – workers have cut down more than a hundred trees.
“This ruling will allow people not to be on watch day and night at the old dam, stopping the machinery from continuing construction. They will be able to go home and no longer have to freeze outdoors,” says Nataliia Maistrenko.
The Kalyny residents assume the developer will not be satisfied with the court’s decision. He may file a cassation appeal, so the struggle continues.
History of the struggle for the river
Back in 2018, when the developer received questionable permits, the community was adamantly opposed to the river’s development at public hearings. In 2024, two public hearings were also held. At the first, residents confirmed their opposition, and at the second they simply could not attend since there was no public announcement.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources suspended the review of permit documents for the construction as of July 1, considering the resistance of local residents. However, in April 2025, the developer began preparatory work, so the community protested.
