At the end of May, a fire broke out on the Vododilny Ridge near the peak of Pikuy. Environmentalists claim it was arson, and a Polish guide witnessed the crime and is willing to testify. However, law enforcement officials did not make contact with either witnesses or activists for a week.
This was reported by the environmental group "Save Pikuy."
According to activists, guide Tomasz Prutnal witnessed the incident and took a series of photographs. He and the tourists got a good look at the arsonist’s face. Witnesses claim that he is a man approximately 50 years old, resembling a local resident.
Initially, "Save Pikui" reported that the police had not been responsive for a long time and expressed doubts about the effectiveness of law enforcement. As of the morning of May 31, it is known that the Volovets police did take statements from the environmental activists.
What is known about the man-made fire?
According to "Save Pikuy," the fire broke out on May 24 on the side of Lviv region. At first, the fire burned under the Lviv village of Libokhory, and later under the village of Shcherbovets in the Transcarpathian region. On the same day, State Emergency Service employees managed to extinguish the fire.
During the emergency on the summit of Pikuy, a group of Polish tourists were present; they became witnesses. They reported three loud explosions, after which fires broke out in three locations.
“During the explosions, the Polish tourists called their Ukrainian tourism colleagues, who then passed the information to the State Emergency Service and the police, and the Poles also saw the suspected arsonist. Therefore, we are ready to provide all the information (the names of the Polish tourists) to the police for further clarification of the circumstances,” the eco-activists emphasized.
Why is this suspicious?
The Watershed Ridge is one of the high-mountain locations in the Carpathians that has come under threat due to the construction of wind power plants (WPPs).
In spring, the "Save Pikuy" community reported about large-scale deforestation. Trees are being cleared to lay power lines for future WPPs.
The construction of energy facilities has caused significant public outcry and reports of violations. In particular, the Ministry of Regional Development was eventually forced to recognize that the construction of separate wind turbine foundations is illegal. However, developers have already damaged the Runa meadow, and the Ministry of Economy has even issued an environmental impact assessment to businesses.
