In various regions, prosecutors are attempting to reclaim land in nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries for the state, often with considerable success. At the same time, due to the negligence of officials, illegal loggers are destroying forests, and fires are sweeping through landfills.
EcoPolitic has compiled information on environmental crimes for the period from May 23 to 29. The data was obtained from open sources—the resources of the Office of the Prosecutor General and regional prosecutor’s offices, the State Bureau of Investigations, and the State Environmental Inspection.
Illegal exploitation of mineral resources
Instead of growing crops, one enterprise in the Kharkiv region decided to mine minerals. To do so, fertile soil was damaged, causing over 100 million hryvnias in environmental damage. In total, more than 15,000 tons of loam and clay were extracted from just two illegal quarries. The prosecutor’s office is now seeking to recover damages from the company.
Source: Office of the Prosecutor General
One of the municipal enterprises in Lviv region illegally used water from underground wells. Environmental damage due to violations of water protection regulations exceeded UAH 1.4 million. The unauthorized use of water also took place without a special permit for subsoil use. The court ordered the company to compensate for the damage caused.
Profiteering on green energy
The mayor of one of the cities in Odesa region was detained for soliciting a bribe in exchange for a permit to build a wind power station. Neither the critical importance of the facility during wartime nor foreign investors deterred the official from seeking profit. For a simple certificate to remove green plantings along access roads, the mayor received $35,000 to a cryptocurrency wallet. More details about this crime can be found in our article.
Source: Office of the Prosecutor General
Fighting for valuable land
The forest was turned into a dumpsite by a contractor. In Dnipropetrovsk region, the former State Enterprise “Dnipro Forestry” transferred 23.3 ha of forest in the Sazhevka ravine to another business entity under the guise of a contract. In reality, the contractor used the land free of charge as a construction waste dump. Prosecutors filed a lawsuit to return the forest fund lands to the state.
In Kyiv, the struggle for the Osokorky Meadows landscape preserve continues. The developer is attempting to challenge the Kyiv City Council's decision to establish the protected natural area. Their plan involves building a road to a residential complex through a valuable natural ecosystem. Notably, the court of first instance accepted the developer's arguments regarding the initiation of an expert evaluation and the suspension of proceedings. However, on appeal, prosecutors managed to prove that such an evaluation serves only to delay court consideration. Therefore, the case is being returned to the court of first instance for substantive review.
Source: Office of the Prosecutor General
In Volyn, prosecutors are seeking through the court to compel the Dubechne Village Council to finally issue title documents for the “Uruchishche Kostyanove” state ornithological preserve with an area of 20 ha. This unique area is under threat of misappropriation. Furthermore, without defined boundaries, the site cannot be placed under protection.
This week has also seen a number of positive decisions in which forest and protected lands were returned to the state and local communities. It is noteworthy that in all these cases, valuable territories had “accidentally” been assigned for agricultural use.
- In Kherson region, 96.6 ha of land will be taken from the municipal ownership of the Mylove Village Council. This area hosts unique steppe natural complexes and is part of the Kamyanska Sich National Nature Park.
- The lands of the “Steppe Canyon” landscape preserve in Dnipropetrovsk Region had been used for agricultural purposes since 2020, despite their protected status. Recently, prosecutors succeeded in cancelling the lease rights of a farming enterprise for this 16 ha plot through the courts.
- In Rivne Region, 41 ha of forest land were returned to state ownership by court decision. Previously, the local subdivision of the State Service of Ukraine for Geodesy, Cartography, and Cadastre (StateGeoCadastre) illegally transferred these territories to municipal ownership as agricultural land.
- A similar fate befell 22 ha of land in Volyn. In fact, these lands are part of the Tsuman Pushcha National Nature Park, but they too suddenly ended up in municipal ownership with an agricultural designation. Through the courts, these valuable plots were returned to the state.
Illegal logging of trees
Не предусмотренные законом "рубки редколесья" allowed the destruction of nearly 19,000 mature trees in the Lviv region. The damage to the state is colossal – over 103 million UAH. Among those accused of this large-scale industrial deforestation is an incumbent township council deputy, who is also the director of a local forestry enterprise. For four years, he issued 58 logging permits that were supposed to legalize the unscrupulous felling of trees. The indictment is already in court. The official faces seven years’ imprisonment. More details on this large-scale crime can be found in a dedicated article by EcoPolitic.
Source: State Bureau of Investigation
On the territory of the "Podvarovsky" botanical reserve in the Poltava region, over 150 oak trees were destroyed. The environmental damage exceeded 8 million UAH. Law enforcement authorities announced suspicion against a forester from one of the forestry districts of the "Slobozhansky Forestry Office" branch of SE "Forests of Ukraine". The official is charged with gross negligence with severe consequences. He was supposed to protect the forest from illegal logging, but failed to fulfill his duties.
Source: Poltava Regional Prosecutor's Office
Since the beginning of 2026, five inspectors from the Department of Phytosanitary Safety of the Main Directorate of the State Service on Food Safety and Consumer Protection in Vinnytsia region set up the issuance of falsified certificates. Without any real inspection, they processed fake documents and made unauthorized changes to the automated system. The investigation found that the officials did not do this for free. One case of bribery for such a certificate by a suspect was recorded. If proven guilty, the officials face three to seven years in prison.
Environmental pollution
Due to inaction by the director of an enterprise in the Dnipropetrovsk region, a large-scale fire broke out at a solid waste landfill back in August 2025. The charges were recently submitted to the court. The fire lasted for two days and covered 2.2 ha, releasing 1,700 t of pollutants. In particular, nitrogen dioxide and carbon were emitted into the atmosphere. At that time, the environmental damage nearly reached 8 million UAH.
Source: Dnipropetrovsk Regional Prosecutor's Office
Land within the settlement of Letychiv in the Khmelnytskyi region was contaminated with phosphorus and petroleum products. The environmental harm exceeded 12.8 million UAH. After calculating the scale of the damage, the State Environmental Inspectorate referred the materials to the regional prosecutor’s office.
Cruelty to animals
A real sentence for killing a dog. In January 2026, a resident of Netishyn in the Khmelnytskyi region threw a toy terrier from the seventh floor. The animal died from the injuries sustained. Although the man persistently denied his guilt and claimed that the dog “jumped out the window on its own,” he was sentenced to five years of imprisonment.
