Environmental activists are attempting to prove in court the illegality of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) issued by the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture regarding the construction of a wind farm in Zakarpattia Oblast.
This was reported by Espreso.Zakhid, citing the NGO "Environment People Law."
The case concerns the EIA report titled "New Construction and Operation of Energy Facilities Generating Electricity from Alternative Energy Sources (Wind Power Plant) in the Territory of the Tur’ye Remetivska Village Council," which the Ministry of Economy issued in February 2026.
Ignoring violations of the law
At EPL, they believe that the Ministry of Economy ignored clear violations of the requirements of both national and international legislation. Among them are the Law of Ukraine "On the Red Book", as well as the Bern and Bonn Conventions.
The activists claim that when issuing the environmental impact assessment conclusion, the ministry in fact did not evaluate that impact. In particular, they refer to risks of accidental mortality of birds and bats. Regarding bats, Runa Mountain Meadow is a feeding ground for 11 species under protection.
“Valuable and substantiated comments from representatives of 30 of the largest and most renowned environmental NGOs in Ukraine and citizens – all were dismissed by the ministry as unsubstantiated, which calls into question the adherence to the principle of accountability and transparency in the activities of central government bodies,” the organisation emphasised.
Separately, environmentalists note that some EIA conditions are unrealistic or difficult to monitor. This refers to the ban on logging, which will take place anyway to lay power transmission lines. Another requirement is to stop wind turbines during periods of high bat activity, which spans a long period from May to October.
It should be recalled that, during a joint session of the Verkhovna Rada Committees on Environmental Policy and European Integration, it became known that the Ministry of Development acknowledged that the construction of wind turbine foundations as separate structures was a violation of legislation.
EcoPolitica has covered various stages of the community's and activists' struggle against building wind turbines in the Carpathians. In particular, despite the promises of the Ministry of Economy, a forest in Zakarpattia region was cleared for constructing power lines to the wind farm.
As for Runa Mountain Meadow – its development became “the first sign” of attempts to construct a series of wind power plants in the highlands of the Carpathians. At various stages, the Zakarpattia State Environmental Inspectorate did not find violations, and before that, refused to provide an inspection report on the legality of the construction. The Zakarpattia Regional Administrative Court also declined to protect the meadow from development.
The case has gained public attention. In addition to representatives of the public, experts, and scholars, Members of Parliament also appealed to the Ministry of Economy to prevent the construction in the mountains. However, this did not stop the ministry from issuing the EIA opinion mentioned in this news.
