Protected lands are once again falling into private ownership, forests are being cut down in forestry enterprises, and hundreds of millions are being made from the illegal extraction of minerals.
EcoPolitic has traditionally prepared a weekly digest of crimes for you. Information for the period November 14-21 is from the Office of the Prosecutor General, regional prosecutor's offices, and the State Environmental Inspection.
Subsoil
In Cherkasy region, the state suffered losses of UAH 190 million. Here, a local company "slightly" exceeded the boundaries of the permitted area and illegally mined kaolin between 2020 and 2023, effectively developing new deposits.
The pre-trial investigation has been completed, and the indictment against the director of the structural unit and a company specialist is in court.
Source: Office of the Prosecutor General
Underpricing of stone caused the state losses of UAH 3 million. Between 2022 and 2024, the acting head of a company that extracts decorative and building stone in the Chernivtsi region sold products below cost. An indictment has been sent to court.
Land
Six hectares of forest in Bukovel ended up in private ownership due to document forgery and fraud. The plot is located in the Ivano-Frankivsk region near the village of Polianytsia and the Bukovel tourist complex. The cost of the damage caused to the state is UAH 20.5 million.
The scheme is classic: forged old-style title deeds, on the basis of which technical documentation was drawn up and false data was entered into the State Register of Property Rights. Three dealers, including a state registrar, are under suspicion. A pre-trial investigation is ongoing.
The state will recover 667 hectares of water resources in the Lviv region, near the Dobrotvir Reservoir. A local company illegally used the land and water resources for fishing activities. There was no lease or taxes, so the Zhovkiv Prosecutor's Office appealed to the court. The Commercial Court of Lviv Region upheld the prosecutors' claim.
In Dnipropetrovsk region, prosecutors protected 1,500 hectares of the educational and research base from falling into private hands. A private company tried to seize it from the State Agrarian and Economic University through the courts. These plots are used for training future specialists in the agricultural sector and for research into farming technologies. These arguments prevented the risk of the land passing into private ownership.
Photo: Office of the Prosecutor General
The local council illegally added a section of the Dniester Canyon National Nature Park in Ternopil region to communal property. More than 3 hectares of nature conservation land were designated for agricultural use. Prosecutors are trying to return the land to the state through the courts.
Forests
Illegal logging worth 9 million hryvnias was organized in Lviv region. The main person involved in the case is the director of the subsidiary forestry enterprise "Galsillis." His subordinates, two foresters and the acting forester, joined the scheme.
The trees were cut down secretly, without forest tickets, and in areas where logging was not permitted. In June and July 2025 alone, 700 trees were destroyed, 683 of which were pine trees. The participants in the scheme received notices of suspicion.
In the Kyiv region, the state-owned enterprise "Forests of Ukraine" must compensate more than UAH 3.3 million for losses incurred by the state due to illegal logging. The enterprise failed to provide adequate protection in the protected Tashansky Park, so, according to the court's decision, it will pay for the damage to the environment.
In the forests of Chernihiv region, officials from SE “Novhorod-Siverskyi Agrarian Forestry Enterprise” were found responsible for not ensuring proper protection of their entrusted forest, resulting in trees being illegally felled for UAH 1.4 million in losses. The state enterprise is required to compensate the damages.
The smuggling of timber to Moldova was organized by a deputy from Chernihiv region, a resident of this region, and an entrepreneur. Pine wood worth UAH 1 million, which was prohibited for export, was transported through the Starokozache checkpoint in Odesa region and the Mamalyga checkpoint in Chernivtsi region. Three people received notices of suspicion.
Pollution
An illegal landfill appeared on municipal land in the town of Hlyniany in Lviv region. The damage to the environment amounts to almost UAH 1 million, and the soil is now contaminated with lead, zinc, and phosphorus. Following a lawsuit filed by prosecutors, the court ordered the city council to compensate the state for the damage caused.
Almost UAH 1 million in damages due to pig manure and liquid manure. In Mykolaiv region, a local entrepreneur polluted the territory of the Voznesensk community with pig farming waste. The farmer was charged.
Poaching
In Poltava region, poachers caused damages amounting to UAH 2.5 million. The offenders were detained on motorcycles in the territory of the Sulinsky Landscape Reserve. Various types of freshly caught fish were found in their possession.
Source: State Environmental Inspectorate of the Central District
You can learn more about last week's environmental protection violations by following this link.
