After a 15-year hiatus, there are renewed attempts to develop a section of forest with ancient trees in Pushcha-Vodytsia, Kyiv. Local activists are convinced of this, as preparations for energy infrastructure have already begun—without permits or land allocations—within the historic boundaries of the resort settlement. Nearly 11 hectares of valuable forest were illegally removed from community ownership during Mayor Chernovetskyi’s tenure and remain in the hands of an organization linked to lawmakers and the wife of the environmental prosecutor.
The civic organization "Kyivska Pushcha" is calling for public attention and is also asking "DTEK Kyiv Power Grids" to address the violations of current legislation regarding the placement of the energy facility.
Source: facebook.com/kyivskapuscha/
Substation as preparation for development
On March 16 this year, within the historical area of Pushcha-Vodytsia, excavation for the foundation and installation of concrete blocks began. This turned out to be preparatory work for the construction of a DTEK transformer substation.
As activists claim, the purpose of building this infrastructure is to supply power for the development of the forest area. The site in question is compartment 1 of block 45 of the Pushcha-Vodytsia Forestry, Sviatoshyn Forestry and Hunting Enterprise.
Source: facebook.com/kyivskapuscha/
Violations by the power company
According to preliminary information, the Kyiv City Council did not allocate land for the construction of the substation. Activists suspect that the power company took advantage of Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 1320 dated December 7, 2023, which, during wartime, allows infrastructure for distributed generation to be built without permits or land allocation.
"To begin the work, only one thing is needed: a properly prepared and approved project. Representatives of DTEK are currently taking advantage of the existence of an 'approved project' in response to community questions regarding available permits for the works," the civic organisation reported.
However, the government resolution does not apply to this particular type of infrastructure, so it should not qualify for the simplified procedure.
At the same time, the transformer substation was constructed without precise topographic and geodetic reference to the land plot. The community received a response from the Kyiv City State Administration stating that they had not received any notifications about the construction or preparatory works.
Activists have learned of a petition by DTEK Kyiv Electric Networks to subdivide the land plot to allocate part of it for the energy facility. However, the area with this cadastral number falls entirely within the boundaries of the historical area protected under Ministry of Culture Resolution No. 599 dated August 2, 2021.
It is noteworthy that the structure is located directly adjacent to disputed forest plots. The organisation "Kyivska Pushcha" suggests that this was done for the convenience of the owners of the protected forest. The community also provides a photo from 2025, showing representatives of the "Dubovyi Hai" NGO and DTEK presumably choosing a location to supply electricity to the forest.
Source: facebook.com/kyivskapuscha/
Background
The protected forest was transferred into private ownership during 2007–2012. Activists reported that an investigation was later conducted, which uncovered a series of official abuses by officials of the Kyiv City Council, "Kyivzelenbud," and the Kyiv Regional Forest and Hunting Administration.
In the interests of third parties, 10.8 hectares of forest in Pushcha-Vodytsia lost their protected status and became the property of the NGO "Dubovyi Hai". The founders of this organisation in 2010 were far from ordinary citizens:
- Vasyl Tarasiuk – former deputy of the Vinnytsia Regional Council;
- Yevheniya Tarasiuk – his wife, deputy of the Trostyanets settlement council;
- Olesya Haiyeva – wife of former Kyiv environmental prosecutor Vadym Haiievyi.
According to activists, the territory plan of Pushcha-Vodytsia still designates these plots as a recreational communal forest area, with no amendments made to Kyiv's master plan. However, despite court cases and criminal proceedings, these valuable forests have still not been reclaimed from private ownership.
EcoPolitic previously reported that the defenders of "Protasiv Yar" in Kyiv partially lost their lawsuit to protect the green zone. Activists view this as a mistake by city authorities, who did not return the land to the community in advance.
