For months, sand was extracted from the bottom of the Dnipro River in the Cherkasy region without any permits. The operation was carried out on an industrial scale, using heavy machinery and dredgers. The sand was sold immediately after being extracted from the riverbed.
The Office of the Prosecutor General reported the exposure of this large-scale scheme.
Overview of the crime
According to the investigation, the organizer of the scheme was a native of the village of Korobivka. Enlisting three accomplices, he launched the extraction operations within the Zolotonosha community. The illegal activities took place from June to October 2024.
Sand was extracted not at a single site, but at six locations in the Korobivka area. The operators used a dredge and other specialized equipment for the illegal mining. Law enforcement officials confirmed that the raw materials were sold immediately after extraction.
Source: Office of the Prosecutor General
Scale of the crime and potential punishment
During the period of illegal subsoil use, about 34,000 m3 of sand was extracted from the Dnipro riverbed, which is equivalent to the volume of 1,300 trucks. According to experts, the damage to the state exceeded UAH 750 million.
The perpetrators’ actions were classified under the following articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
- extraction of minerals of local significance in a large amount, committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy;
- legalization (laundering) of property obtained by criminal means.
Currently, preventive measures have been applied to the suspects.
EcoPolitic reported that since the beginning of the full-scale war, losses from environmental crimes committed by officials alone have exceeded UAH 2.6 billion.
