This week, details emerged of brazen schemes involving the illegal logging of forests, with top forestry officials implicated. Ukrainian mineral resources also remain a lucrative target for criminals—offenders are stealing loess, limestone, and even water from underground sources.
EcoPolitic has compiled information for its readers on environmental crimes reported between March 28 and April 3 by the Office of the Prosecutor General in coordination with regional prosecutor’s offices, the State Bureau of Investigations, and the State Environmental Inspection.
Millions in damages from illegal logging
A criminal scheme organized by the director of the Slavske subsidiary forestry enterprise "Galsillis" caused over 103 million UAH in environmental damage. The official, who also serves as a deputy on the local village council, issued logging permits for the felling of sparse forests. Ironically, this type of logging does not exist at all. Over four years of illegal logging in the Stryi district of Lviv region, nearly 19,000 trees were destroyed. The official has been notified of the charges, and the court is now set to determine a preventive measure at the prosecutor’s request.
Source: Office of the Prosecutor General
In Kharkiv region, valuable oak trees were destroyed under the guise of "firewood." The criminals sold the raw wood to an enterprise at a reduced price and demanded the difference as a bribe. Those involved in the scheme included the head of the branch of "Slobozhansky Forest Office" of SE "Forests of Ukraine," the director of the Gutianske forestry department, and two civilian intermediaries, including the head of the local branch of the "Batkivshchyna" party. EcoPolitics has covered this crime in greater detail.
Due to negligence on the part of inspectors of the "Bilozerky National Park," trees, including centuries-old oaks, were destroyed on protected lands. The losses amounted to nearly UAH 7 million. The indictment is already before the court, and the defendants face up to five years in prison.
Foresters' negligence has also harmed forests in Chernivtsi region. The prosecutor's office suspects two officials from the Chornivske Forestry Department of SE "Forests of Ukraine." The total losses from their carelessness amount to nearly UAH 19 million.
Environmental inspectors assessed the losses from illegal logging in Ivano-Frankivsk region. In the Hutsulshchyna National Park, trees were destroyed with damages totaling almost UAH 11.5 million, and in the territory of the Nyzhnoverbizka village council, over UAH 5 million. The materials are being prepared for submission to the prosecutor's office.
Illegal use of subsoil resources
Так "захопився" видобутком супіску, що went beyond the allotted deposit site and caused environmental damage amounting to almost UAH 53 million. The director of one of the brick plants in Ternopil region is suspected of illegal subsoil use. According to the investigation, he organised the extraction of sand loam and used it as raw material for the production of bricks and construction blocks.
In Odesa region, a criminal group illegally extracted limestone from an area of about 20 ha. As a result of these violations, more than 200,000 t of minerals were removed from the subsoil, causing environmental damage of almost UAH 1.3 million. Seven individuals have been served notices of suspicion – the director of the mining company, the site manager, as well as miners and auxiliary workers.
Source: Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office
Bottled drinking water – straight from an underground water field. Three men in Zhytomyr region set up such a scheme. They illegally extracted and sold almost 58,000 l of water, causing environmental damage of more than UAH 1.1 million. For illegal subsoil use, the suspects could face up to six years in prison. The indictment has already been submitted to court.
Source: Zhytomyr Regional Prosecutor’s Office
Return of valuable lands
The "Trukhanivske" reservoir in Vinnytsia region was returned to the community. Its area of 120 ha had been used illegally for commercial purposes over many years. The user referred to having successor status, although that was not the case.
Plots of 105 ha, which by right belong to the national nature reserve "Priorylsky," have finally been removed from private ownership. These valuable lands in Dnipropetrovsk region are intended solely for environmental protection, but a government body unlawfully leased them to an individual for agricultural use. The illegal registration of these plots has been annulled.
Also in Dnipropetrovsk region, due to forgery of a state land deed, lands of the forest fund "Forests of Ukraine" were removed from state property. The accused was served a notice of suspicion – he not only changed the designated use of the land, but also resold it for profit. Losses to the state amounted to more than UAH 3 million.
Environmental pollution
A Kyiv-based enterprise exceeded atmospheric emission standards by tens of times. As EcoPolityka previously reported, the concentration of sulfur dioxide was almost 20 times higher than the permitted limit. For systematic and dangerous environmental pollution that posed a threat to public health, the company’s director was notified of suspicion. The environmental damage amounted to UAH 2.5 million.
Source: Office of the Prosecutor General
In Zaporizhzhia region, unknown individuals littered a site with glass, plastic, rubber and other materials. According to calculations by the State Environmental Inspectorate, damage to the environment amounted to about 16.7 million UAH. The materials have been transferred to the prosecutor's office.
Animal cruelty
A woman in an apartment in Kyiv’s Obolon district kept wild animals – a wolf and a fox. After an appeal from the owner, animal rights activists removed the wolf – in footage from the woman’s social media, she was seen keeping the predator in a cramped cage. During searches of the apartment, investigators discovered the corpse of a fox with injuries of varying degrees. Law enforcement is still clarifying where the woman acquired the animals. She has already been served with a notice of suspicion for animal cruelty. The maximum penalty under the article is imprisonment for up to three years.
You can read about the previous week’s environmental crimes in this article from EcoPolitic.
