Snowdrops rolled up on the road: activists accuse the Ministry of Environment of double standards facebook.com/ekosphera.ua

Snowdrops rolled up on the road: activists accuse the Ministry of Environment of double standards

Hanna Velyka

They reminded us of the need to comply with the requirements of the documents that the agency itself developed

The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine did not protect the snow-white snowdrop habitats in Zakarpattia, which were damaged during the construction of a forest road in March this year, from destruction.

This was reported by activists of the Ecosphere NGO on Facebook.

They said that on the territory of the Uzhhorod and Svalyava supra-forestry of the State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” in the Carpathians, massive destruction of large areas of snow-white snowdrop, listed in the Red Book of Ukraine, as well as virgin forests near Polonyna Rivna, is underway. The public association says that these areas of forest are being destroyed for the construction of a wind farm by Wind Farms of Ukraine LLC.

facebook.com/ekosphera.ua

Photo: facebook.com/ekosphera.ua.

The activists provided satellite images of the area with a road map and snowdrop locations.

facebook.com/ekosphera.ua

1 – Svaliava superforestry, 2 – Uzhhorod superforestry, 3 – virgin forests. Source: facebook.com/ekosphera.ua.

facebook.com/ekosphera.ua

Source: facebook.com/ekosphera.ua.

facebook.com/ekosphera.ua

Source: facebook.com/ekosphera.ua.

The Ecosphere NGO reminded that in January 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the Procedure for Monitoring Biological and Landscape Diversity. This document establishes a list of monitoring objects, defines the subjects of the process, the procedure for their interaction and exchange of relevant information. The list of monitoring objects includes all species of flora and fauna, communities, habitats and territories subject to special protection under Ukrainian law and international treaties ratified by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

“It seems that the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine leads a double life. One is in forums on the green recovery of Ukraine, where it tries to please government officials from the European Commission. And the other is refusing to protect nature, trying to please the Presidential Office,” the environmental activists said.

At the  EcoPolitic already reported that in the Liutianske forestry of the Uzhhorod Forestry branch of the state enterprise “Forests of Ukraine”, foresters began preparatory felling for the construction of a road in the virgin forest areas.

And in early February, we reported on illegal logging near the village of Zbyni in the Zhdeniyivka community, where employees of the Svalyava Forestry branch of the State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” were cutting down forest for a road that was not listed in the forest management materials.

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