The EcoPolitic team has collected the 3 most significant cases of environmental damage over the last week from September 27 to October 3.
1) In the Tuzly Estuaries National Park in Odesa Oblast, a poacher caused damage worth more than UAH 4 million.
Near the village of Zhovtyi Yar, on Lake Alibey, which is part of the Tuzly Estuaries National Nature Park, a suspect was detained for illegal fishing within the nature reserve fund.
Photo: derzhecoinspekciya_pivdenno_zah
Without the necessary permits, the poacher caught 157 spiny mullet and 29 units of glossy flounder. The inspectors estimated the total damage caused to the Tuzly Estuaries National Park at over UAH 4 million.
Law enforcement officers drew up a report against the violator for fishing without the necessary permits under Article 91 of the Administrative Code of Ukraine (Violation of the rules for the protection and use of territories and objects of the nature reserve fund).
Photo: derzhecoinspekciya_pivdenno_zah
The defendant faces a fine of 9 to 24 tax-free minimum incomes.
2) An official of the State Service of Geology and Mineral Resources was exposed for facilitating illegal amber mining worth UAH 354 million.
In Rivne region, the head of a sector of one of the units of the State Service of Geology and Subsoil of Ukraine is suspected of illegal amber mining worth UAH 354 million.
Photo: pgo_gov_ua
According to the investigation, the official was involved in the activities of a criminal organization that carried out illegal amber mining in Rivne region during 2022-2024.
The pre-trial investigation established the involvement of the official of the State Service of Geology and Mineral Resources of Ukraine in the illegal extraction of precious stones and participation in a criminal organization.
Photo: pgo_gov_ua
According to experts, his role was to advise the organizers on the selection of sites, support the process of obtaining special permits, prepare documents on behalf of a private company, and organize cooperation with project organizations.
In total, seven members of the illegal organization were served with a notice of suspicion, including the former director of one of the branches of the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine". They are suspected of creating, managing and participating in criminal organizations, as well as illegal amber mining with the use of official position.
Photo: pgo_gov_ua
The Head of the State Service of Geology and Mineral Resources of Ukraine faces punishment under:
1) part 5 of Article 27 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (joint criminal activity);
2) part 4 of Article 28 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (cooperation with a criminal organization);
3) part 3 of Article 240-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (committing a crime that led to grave consequences);
4) part 3 of Article 255 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (a person who is a subject of high criminal influence).
3) The former deputy director of the Central Forestry Office of the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine" will be tried for illegal enrichment.
A former official of the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine" will be tried in Vinnytsia region for misrepresenting assets in declarations and illicit enrichment in the amount of UAH 38 million.
According to the investigation, the former official illegally acquired:
1. a 2019 Porsche Cayenne car worth more than UAH 2.7 million;
2. a 2024 Mercedes-Benz car worth more than UAH 5.2 million;
3. funds in the amount of more than UAH 5.7 million spent on goods, services and money transfers to third parties;
4. cash in the amount of €10 thousand and $53 thousand.
Photo: DBRgovua
In addition to the above property, the former deputy from the Central Forestry Office "forgot" to indicate in the declaration assets worth more than UAH 25 million, including: three apartments in Zhytomyr, Kyiv and Odesa; bank accounts and financial transactions; and his wife's income, which was used to register the illegally obtained property after a fictitious divorce.
The offender faces punishment under Article 368-5 and Part 2 of Article 366-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine with imprisonment for up to 12 years.
4) Prosecutors recovered almost UAH 7 million for illegal logging in the Nobel Park.
Unidentified persons illegally cut down dozens of trees of different species in the Nobel Park in Rivne region.
Prosecutors filed a lawsuit with the Rivne Oblast Economic Court over illegal deforestation in the Nobel Park. The court upheld their claims and ruled to recover about UAH 6.8 million from the forest user, which is the amount of money the criminals cut down.
Although the direct perpetrators were not identified, the law imposes the obligation to protect and preserve the forest on the organization that uses it. It is the organization that has to compensate for the damage caused to the environment due to violations of forest protection rules.
As a reminder, minerals of national importance were illegally mined in Mykolaiv region, which caused the state losses of more than UAH 120 million.
According to the investigation, from January 2024 to September 2025, the director of the company in Bashtanka district, by prior conspiracy with another person, extracted groundwater without the necessary subsoil use permit.
