Behind a fence and under the control of a private company, over 220 hectares of land belonging to the State Forest Fund in Zakarpattia Oblast have for years been generating profits for a firm owned by the wife of a former MP from the banned OPZZh party, who is suspected of treason. The illegal exploitation of the forests was facilitated by a series of decisions by local officials, who, along with the company’s director, are now facing criminal charges.
This was reported by the State Bureau of Investigations.
The story of the forest’s loss
Land from the forest fund was leased to a private entity as far back as 2005. The relevant 49-year lease agreement was signed by the then head of the Volovets District State Administration. However, the fact is that, by law, the district administration did not and does not have such powers.
One illegal decision led to others. Between 2013 and 2026, forestry officials entered into agreements with the company, granting it the right to long-term use of the forests. This gave the firm a ‘legal’ basis for converting state-owned land into a private leisure complex.
Over 220 hectares of commercial forest, where forestry operations were supposed to take place, were transformed into the ‘Vedmezha Dibrova’ hunting and leisure complex. The investigation estimates the losses incurred by the state at over 27 million hryvnias.
Suspicions and liability
The officials have been served notices of suspicion under various articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Thus, former managers of state institutions – the regional forestry and hunting management, the state forestry enterprise, and the Volovets RDA – are accused of abuse of power or official position resulting in grave consequences.
Additionally, two former executives of the state forestry enterprise were notified of suspicion under the article concerning official negligence that led to grave consequences. Investigators consider their crime to be the failure to take action to stop the illegal exploitation of forest areas.
The head of the company that arranged the recreation complex on state forest lands is accused of unauthorized occupation of a land plot.
The maximum penalty stipulated by the cited criminal articles is up to six years of imprisonment.
EcoPolitic recently reported on a similar situation, also in Zakarpattia Oblast. There, a private company was granted a state forest plot for 45 years which has effectively become a hotel park area where bonfires are lit and quad bikes are driven.
