EcoPolitic has compiled for its readers the top 5 large-scale cases of environmental damage reported by the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), as well as the State Environmental Inspectorate of Ukraine and its subdivisions during the week of March 1-7.
1. The head of Znamianske forestry will be tried in Kirovohrad region. A pre-trial investigation found that he organized illegal deforestation. In just three months of 2023, oaks, hornbeams, ash trees, linden trees, and maples worth more than UAH 11 million were illegally cut down in the forestry headed by the defendant.
Photo: kir.gp.gov.ua.
The accused has now been dismissed from his position. He faces imprisonment for up to 5 years.
2. According to the decision of the Economic Court of Zakarpattia region, the State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” represented by its branch “Yasinya Forestry and Hunting Farm” paid to the budget more than UAH 18 million of damage caused by illegal deforestation in the territory of Lazeshchyna forestry. Stumps from cut trees without any signs of their allocation for felling were found by environmental inspectors during inspections on 11/18/2021, 05/31/2022 and 06/02/2022.
3. More than UAH 838 thousand of environmental damage due to soil and water pollution will be recovered from the Zhytomyr-based Motor Transport Enterprise 0628 in court. An unscheduled inspection conducted by environmental inspectors following a citizen's appeal to the EcoThreat web resource revealed that the company had set up a leachate pond for the city's solid waste landfill outside the area that was provided to the ME for use.
Photo: polissyareg.dei.gov.ua.
This led to the pollution of adjacent land plots, an unnamed stream and the Kroshenka River.
4. In Prykarpattia, the former head of the State Environmental Inspectorate of the Carpathian District will be tried for unjustified assets worth more than UAH 20 million. In 2020-2023, the official declared property that neither he nor his family had the legal income and financial means to purchase.
Photo: dbr.gov.ua.
Among them are premium cars, luxury real estate, land plots and apartments in Ivano-Frankivsk.
Photo: dbr.gov.ua.
5. In Kherson region, residents of the Dar'yivka territorial community will be tried for illegal fishing for more than UAH 900 thousand in the waters of the Ingulets River, which they did in November and December 2024.
In November 2024, EcoPolitics reported that officials of the Yasinya Forestry branch of the State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” did not allow environmental inspectors to conduct unscheduled inspections on the territory of their forestry enterprises.
We reported in August 2024 that the SBI conducted searches at the place of registration and residence of the former head of the State Ecological Inspectorate of the Carpathian District and his family members, as well as searches of premises and cars that may be illegally acquired assets.
