Starting from July 1, 2026, Ihor Zubovych will assume the role of acting CEO of the state enterprise “Forests of Ukraine”. Members of the company’s supervisory board made the decision regarding the former Deputy Minister of Economy's new career move.
This became known from a publication on the website of the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture.
A member of the supervisory board of SE “Forests of Ukraine”, Roberts Stripnieks, stated that Ihor Zubovych “has the full confidence of the supervisory board”. This personnel decision is considered significant in the transformation process of the forestry monopoly.
For his part, the future acting CEO emphasized that he will focus on enhancing management transparency, implementing modern technologies, and achieving a balance between ecology and the economy. Zubovych especially noted the importance of increasing public trust in foresters.
As EcoPolitic previously reported, only in early May was Ihor Zubovych dismissed from the position of Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture. Shortly thereafter, he was appointed as the Chief Operating Officer of SE “Forests of Ukraine”.
At the same time, the Ministry of Economy announced that the state enterprise is to be transformed into a joint-stock company, and Zubovych will head this transformation as the chair of the transformation commission.
Preparation for the competition
The supervisory board initiated the preparatory process for conducting the competition for the position of CEO of SE “Forests of Ukraine”. The enterprise was instructed to:
- engage a professional recruitment consultant;
- develop and submit for approval to the Supervisory Board the conditions for the competitive selection and the criteria for candidate evaluation.
Alongside the personnel changes, the supervisory board reviewed the financial plans and reporting of the state enterprise. “Forests of Ukraine” was also required to conduct an independent audit of financial statements for 2026.
At the Ministry of Economy, Ihor Zubovych worked for less than a year-he became one of Sobolev’s deputies only on August 1, 2025. Before that, he worked at the State Environmental Inspectorate, where since December 2021 he had been serving as acting head of the SEI.
Let us recall that at the end of April, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky announced personnel changes in SE “Forests of Ukraine”. Among the reasons mentioned were unresolved critical issues in the forestry sector and the protection of the Carpathians.
EcoPolitic also reported on salary levels in the government and at the state enterprise. While Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko earned 1.4 million UAH during 2025, the official incomes of directors at SE “Forests of Ukraine” in some cases exceeded 10 million UAH.
