Extreme drivers reached the sandy slopes of the Kuyalnik National Nature Park in the Odesa region. On February 1, a group of people in off-road vehicles staged races on previously untouched natural territory, causing damage to the soil and vegetation.
According to a post on the national park's official Facebook page, the park's management has contacted law enforcement to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.
The extreme violators were attracted by the challenging terrain of the protected area with its sand, as well as seasonal snow and ice.
Source: Kuialnytskyi National Nature Park on Facebook.
According to the national park, one of the off-road vehicles, a Volkswagen Touareg, overturned on the rear slopes of the estuary. The vehicle was damaged, but valuable nature also suffered. Such extreme mechanical impact destroys vegetation and can even lead to soil erosion.
Off-roading is prohibited within the nature reserve fund. As early as February 2, the director of Kuialnytskyi National Nature Park, Oleksandr Shestun, filed a complaint against the violators with the National Police Directorate in Odesa region. The park’s security service does not have the authority to investigate crimes or identify offenders.
“ The administration of Kuialnytskyi National Nature Park asks the police to take effective measures to identify the participants in the 'off-roading' and bring them to administrative responsibility with subsequent recovery of damages caused to the environment, ” the park emphasized.
According to a clarification from the national park, there are restrictions on driving vehicles to the shoreline. This is necessary to protect the landscapes of the Kuialnytskyi estuary from destructive human impact. The installation of warning signs, barrier posts, and gates continues in the reserve area.
EcoPolitic reminds that off-roading is prohibited by law in Ukraine. These regulations are set out in Law of Ukraine No. 4188-IX “On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine ‘On the Nature Reserve Fund of Ukraineʼ,” which was signed by the President of Ukraine in February 2025.
This problem is most acute in the Ukrainian Carpathians. The wheels of SUVs, ATVs, and buggies churn up local soil, harming the flora, causing erosion and increasing the risk of flooding in settlements.
