In the Chyziv community of Zhytomyr Oblast, authorities are investigating the deaths of cows at the state-owned enterprise "Rykhalske." The Specialized Environmental Prosecutor's Office is treating this as a case of animal cruelty, while local residents report that, prior to the prosecutors' arrival, employees were hiding the animals' carcasses in the forest.
This situation was reported by the media outlet "Suspilne," whose film crew arrived at the scene.
Chronology of events
The deaths of the animals were noticed on April 27 by former employees of the state-owned enterprise. They placed a ladder against the fence of the dairy farm to check on the condition of the cows.
“One of the cows was stuck in the mud and had clearly been lying there for at least three days. The ground beneath another was disturbed – it appears she tried repeatedly to get up and was still alive. She was still moving slightly. A third was lying by the fence and could not get up at all,” said Stanislav Kuzmenko, a former forestry technician at "Rykhalske".
Local resident Svitlana Zaitseva reported that the cows are in a terrible state, lacking both water and food.
Former warehouse manager Anatoliy Prysyazhnyuk added that on April 26, enterprise security was reinforced, and on the 28th, residents heard gunshots. Soon after, a loader placed the cows into its bucket and took them toward the forest. The man believes this was done to conceal the crimes committed on the enterprise's territory.
Former employees have provided all data to investigators. They say that even behind the animal sheds a mound appeared, with, among other things, a cow's legs sticking out.
The start of the investigation
On April 28, representatives from the police, the Specialized Environmental Prosecutor’s Office, a veterinarian from the Zhytomyr Regional State Veterinary Medicine Hospital, and employees of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection visited the enterprise. The "Suspilne" crew was denied access to the grounds by investigators. Residents from a neighboring village were selected to act as witnesses.
Source: suspilne.media
Later, the prosecutor’s office reported that an inspection was carried out in the feed storage facility. They promised to provide information upon completion of the investigation following an official request.
In the evening, correspondents were eventually allowed onto the premises, but permission to show the dead animals was denied, citing ongoing investigative actions.
“Yesterday, there was a video showing that two cows had died. Yes, they died, but currently we cannot show it because investigative actions are being conducted regarding these cows. In the coming days, the veterinary hospital will perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death of these cows. Therefore, we cannot show them for the time being,” said Oleksandr Shevel, the director of the "Rykhalske" branch.
Cows as hostages of the conflict
In February 2025, the State Property Fund put the "Rykhalske" state enterprise up for auction, and from March to August that year, more than 20 complaints regarding violations of law and order on the company's premises were filed.
The staff opposed the appointment of Vyacheslav Herasymenko as director, accusing him of attempting to seize control of the enterprise. After "Rykhalske" was put up for auction and, according to employees, around five raider attacks were carried out on the enterprise.
Фacts of improper animal care began to be recorded by former employees in December 2025. As early as December 8, animal rights activists contacted the police to initiate an investigation into animal cruelty. In February, residents of Rykhalske reached out to "Suspilne" as the animals continued to suffer.
EcoPolitic previously reported that in Ukraine, new rules regarding animal welfare have come into effect.
