Former Deputy Minister of Economy Zubovich to transform "Forests of Ukraine" into a joint-stock company

Former Deputy Minister of Economy Zubovich to transform "Forests of Ukraine" into a joint-stock company life.znaj.ua
Maria Semenova

The Ministry of Economy insists that it will combat illegal logging and corruption risks

Igor Zubovych, who just a few days ago served as a deputy at the Ministry of Economy, has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer of the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine." An additional fact – the state enterprise is set to be transformed into a joint-stock company, and the newly appointed director will head the corresponding commission.

The personnel appointment was announced by the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture, referencing an order from the State Forestry Resources Agency.

At the Ministry of Economy, Igor Zubovych coordinated the work of the Department for Environmental Protection, Prevention, and Control of Industrial Pollution.

In the “relaunch” of the state enterprise, there is an aim to strike a balance between economic indicators, environmental protection, and state interests.

The ministry has also set forth several ambitious goals:

  • to make management more transparent and of higher quality;
  • to revise the remuneration system for the leadership;
  • to strengthen control over illegal logging and reduce corruption risks;
  • to reinforce the environmental protection direction of operations;
  • to modernize production processes;
  • to create predictable conditions for the wood processing business.

“This is a response to numerous requests from society, local communities, law enforcement agencies, and businesses for a more transparent, efficient, and responsible forestry sector,” the Ministry of Economy explained.

EcoPolitiс previously reported on the salary levels of directors at the State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine.” The “top earners” in 2025 received more than UAH 18 million. Awarding bonuses of over UAH 5 million has become a widespread practice.

For comparison, Zubovych’s former supervisor, Oleksii Sobolev, received UAH 1.7 million in salary last year, while Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko received UAH 1.4 million.

Recall, the president previously spoke about upcoming personnel changes at “Forests of Ukraine” due to systemic issues in the forestry sector. Due to the actions of officials, the environment suffered losses of over UAH 546 million last year alone.

Related
Digest of environmental crimes of the week: pollution, forest felling and illegal subsoil use
Digest of environmental crimes of the week: pollution, forest felling and illegal subsoil use

Due to excessive discharge of mine water, an enterprise in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast has to pay over UAH 530 million

Billions for "their own": forestry contracts in Polissia go to firms of deputies and former officials
Billions for "their own": forestry contracts in Polissia go to firms of deputies and former officials

Almost 76% of contracts were awarded at tenders without competitors, and some winners had no official employees at all

Government experiment with simplified waste treatment permits failed to meet expectations
Government experiment with simplified waste treatment permits failed to meet expectations

Among the shortcomings of the experiment is the lack of real data on the volumes and composition of waste, which most likely indicates that recyclable materials were dumped in landfills

Digest of environmental crimes: over UAH 140 million in damage from peat extraction and forest felling
Digest of environmental crimes: over UAH 140 million in damage from peat extraction and forest felling

Among the polluters of nature, an entrepreneur from Kyiv who burned tyres instead of recycling them "stood out"