Environmental monitoring stations (EMS) are operating in six regions of Ukraine. This is a preventive tool that allows for the detection of environmental crimes either immediately or while they are still being committed. As a result, nearly 1,000 violations have already been recorded in the five months since the stations began operating.
This was reported by the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture in its report on the work of the ECPs for the period from October 2025 to February 2026.
Where are the ECPs located?
As of now, environmental control points are operating in three districts.
- In the Polissia District, which combines Rivne and Zhytomyr regions, 14 inspectors are working. In total, this is 27.4% of the entire local staff of the State Environmental Inspectorate (SEI).
- In the Central District, which includes Poltava and Cherkasy regions, 15.2% of the inspectorate’s staff are assigned to ECPs – 7 employees in total.
- The South-Western District covers Mykolaiv and Odesa regions, where 12 inspectors are employed in ECPs, representing 13.6% of the SEI inspectorate staff.
Interim results
During the reporting period, ECP environmental inspectors conducted 873 patrols and 224 raids, and responded to 45 calls from the National Police and citizens. More than 1,600 educational discussions were held with the public.
In total, from October 2025 to February 2026, ECPs recorded 973 violations of environmental protection laws. For administrative offenses, 611 reports were compiled, and 31 case files with signs of criminal offenses were submitted to law enforcement. It is already known that 15 criminal proceedings have been initiated.
The most common violations include:
- unauthorized landfills within residential areas;
- land contamination;
- illegal logging;
- violations of water bioresources usage regulations.
“Environmental Control Points have already demonstrated their effectiveness. This is truly a new form of ecological monitoring – modern, digital, and preventive. Our goal is to scale this model across the entire territory of Ukraine to ensure systematic and timely environmental protection,” said Ihor Zubovych, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine.
EcoPolitic reported that the first experimental environmental control point began operating in the Zhytomyr region.
The ECP is equipped with instruments to measure water, air, and soil parameters, as well as GPS and digital recording systems. These tools make it possible to respond promptly to violations and to collect evidence.
