In Odesa region, four black loggers face criminal liability for illegal felling of trees in a shelterbelt forest to the tune of 180,000 hryvnias and along the banks of the Danube River to the tune of 40,000 hryvnias.
The case against the three offenders has already been referred to court, and the pre-trial investigation against the last defendant is ongoing, according to the Main Department of the National Police in Odesa Oblast.
It is noted that the three defendants destroyed 34 ash and acacia trees in a field protection strip near the village of Vynohradivka in Bolhradskyi district. They were found when they were leaving the scene of the offense.
The police said that the offenders were charged with illegal felling of trees in forest plantations, transportation of illegally felled trees committed by prior conspiracy by a group of people, which caused grave consequences.
"This offense is qualified under Part 4 of Art. 246 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The police sent the indictment to the court. The sanction of the article provides for punishment in the form of deprivation of liberty for a term of five to seven years," explained the acting chief of police department No. 2 of the Bolgrad district police department Maksym Shlapak.
The message added that a pre-trial investigation is also underway against a resident of the Izmail district. He was discovered by law enforcement officers while felling trees along the banks of the Danube River, near the Izmail-Kilia-Vylkove highway.
"The man managed to cut down three willows and load them into the trailer. By his actions, the offender caused damage to Kiliyska OTG in the amount of almost 40,000 hryvnias, which was also confirmed by an expert opinion," the press service said.
The message added that the suspect was informed of the suspicion. He faces a fine from 17 to 25.5 thousand hryvnias or arrest for a term of up to six months, or restrictions or deprivation of liberty for a term of up to three years.
"The police continue to carry out preventive measures to prevent the commission of crimes against the environment. We call on citizens to stop the uncontrolled felling of forest plantations, to comply with the norms of the current legislation and to harvest wood in a legal way," the press service emphasized.
Earlier, EcoPolitic wrote, that in Odesa on the banks of the Dniester near the water's edge, two new wooden houses were built on the lands of the Bilyaiv forestry. Such construction completely destroyed the natural landscape of the coastal protective strip.
As EcoPolitic previously reported, in Odesa, cyber specialists of the Security Service of Ukraine detained an agent of the Russian special service FSB, who collected and transmitted the coordinates of places where toxic substances are stored, in particular warehouses and warehouses with pesticides. The occupiers planned to launch missile strikes and kamikaze drone attacks on these objects in order to provoke an environmental disaster.
