Courts in Lviv and Zhytomyr regions have ruled that the state-owned enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” has already paid over 1.6 million UAH in compensation for land contamination and must also pay 1.1 million UAH to local communities for illegal logging.
This was reported by the publications “Lviv. Media” and “Zhytomyr Online.”
Zhytomyr Region: illegal dump
The state-owned enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” was ordered to pay over 1.6 million UAH for large-scale littering of forest lands. The funds have already been transferred to a special local budget fund following the court’s decision. They will be used to restore the ecological balance and fund environmental protection measures in the region.
The problem was discovered during an inspection by the State Environmental Inspection of the Polissya District in March 2025. Environmentalists found a massive illegal landfill in the forest covering an area of about 1.7 hectares. The area was filled with woodworking waste—mainly sawdust—as well as household trash. This caused chemical and physical soil contamination.
Experts estimated that the environmental damage exceeded 1.6 million UAH. Since the company was in no hurry to voluntarily compensate for the damages, the prosecutor’s office filed a lawsuit. The Commercial Court of Zhytomyr Oblast ruled in favor of the prosecutor’s office and ordered the company to pay the full amount.
Lviv region: “black loggers” whom no one stopped
The Commercial Court of Lviv Region upheld two lawsuits filed by the Rava-Ruska and Velyki Mosty communities against the State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” branch because forestry officials allowed illegal logging on lands under their management. According to the ruling, the state enterprise must pay the communities a total of UAH 1.1 million in damages. Additionally, “Forests of Ukraine” must pay UAH 14,000 in court fees. However, the state enterprise still has the opportunity to appeal the court decision.
According to the case file, between December 2023 and July 2024, the forest protection service recorded 102 illegally felled trees in the Richkivske forestry within the Rava-Ruska community, with total losses amounting to UAH 686,000.
In April 2023, law enforcement officers discovered 329 destroyed trees in Liubelske forestry near Velyki Mosty. In this case, the damages amounted to UAH 414,000.
Recently, EcoPolitic reported that in Bukovyna, employees of the State Bureau of Investigation uncovered illegal logging in the “Zubrovytsia” nature reserve by a former official of the Dolishno-Shepitske forestry of the Berehomet Forest and Hunting Enterprise. Over the course of 2 years, he unlawfully issued himself logging tickets under the pretense of “clearing” the reserve and cut down more than 600 trees. According to expert estimates, the forester caused damage to the nature reserve fund’s object amounting to almost UAH 7.7 million.
