Thousands of trees were destroyed due to abuse by forestry officials within the state-owned enterprise Berezhanyraylis. The defendants are the director, chief forester, and administrator of the electronic accounting system.
According to the State Bureau of Investigations, the indictment has already been sent to court.
Systemic violations in document processing
In 2023, officials entered inaccurate data on the types of logging in logging tickets. As established by the investigation, forestry officials did not conduct proper checks of the forest condition and drew up forest management documentation with violations.
The administrator of the electronic timber accounting system was involved in the scheme. He participated in drawing up lists of trees designated for felling, as well as in preparing material and monetary assessments of forest areas. The official not only participated in the development of the documentation, but also certified it with his own signature. This served as confirmation of the "accuracy" of the calculation of the number of trees to be felled, as well as their species and characteristics.
The fictitious data entered by the administrator became the basis for issuing logging permits. The defendants then decided to seize and sell the illegally harvested timber.
In total, according to the Ternopil Regional Prosecutor's Office, the chief forester entered information about the possibility of conducting 41 thinning operations into the logging permits without legal grounds. The director of the enterprise then issued logging permits that allowed these operations to take place. They came under suspicion in July 2025. The administrator was charged in January 2026 for his role in implementing the illegal scheme.
Consequences and possible punishment
In total, more than 6,200 trees of various species were destroyed on the territory of the forestry due to the defendants' machinations. After calculation, the amount of damage caused to the state amounted to more than UAH 56.9 million.
All three defendants are charged with official negligence, which caused serious consequences. Responsibility for this crime is determined by Article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The officials could face up to five years in prison.
EcoPolitic reported that the total damage from crimes committed by foresters documented in 2025 amounted to UAH 546 million.
