This week has proved to be ‘generous’ in terms of extremely costly crimes against nature. The illegal exploitation of mineral resources has cost the state the most. Within this category, no fewer than three offences relate to the sale of illegally extracted water to the public. However, it is the forests that have suffered the most. They continue to be destroyed by foresters, businesspeople or simply profit-hungry citizens.
EcoPolitic has prepared an overview for its readers of crimes against the Ukrainian environment that came to light between 20 and 26 June. The article draws on information from the Office of the Prosecutor General and regional prosecutors’ offices, the State Bureau of Investigations, and the State Environmental Inspectorate.
Illegal exploitation of mineral resources
Losses of over 1.2 billion hryvnias due to the illegal extraction of granite in the Kirovohrad region. Instead of winding up the company, the insolvency administrator organised the extraction of the rock on an industrial scale, even after the special permit for subsoil use had expired. He has been notified that he is under suspicion in connection with this. EcoPolitics has previously reported in more detail on this high-profile case.
Source: Office of the Prosecutor General
The population paid for water that the enterprise was actually stealing from the state. In Kryvyi Rih district, a municipal enterprise illegally extracted water from wells, causing losses exceeding UAH 85 million. This involves more than 400,000 cubic meters of water extracted between 2019 and 2025 without special permits for subsoil use. Moreover, this water was supplied to 11 settlements via centralized networks, and consumers were charged for it. The director of the municipal enterprise received a notice of suspicion. Alongside the investigation, efforts began to bring permitting documents in order.
Similar crimes are being investigated in Kyiv region. The head of a municipal enterprise in Brovary district received a notice of suspicion for illegally extracting over 70,000 cubic meters of water, causing nearly UAH 39.7 million in damages to the state. A private company also sold water stolen from the state; under this proceeding, state damages exceed UAH 217.8 million. Both men face up to six years in prison.
Illegally extracted water was also supplied to residents of Kirovohrad region. Without permits, a municipal enterprise operated 30 wells. As a result, the state incurred losses exceeding UAH 12.6 million, and the director was served with a notice of suspicion.
Instead of conducting geological exploration, sand was extracted on an industrial scale. In Vinnytsia region, law enforcement exposed a private company that, under the guise of research work, extracted more than 70,000 cubic meters of sand over five years. The violation occurred on the territory of a quarry in the Tyvriv community. The state suffered losses of UAH 80 million. The director of the company has been served with a notice of suspicion.
Source: Vinnytsia Regional Prosecutor's Office
Due to illegal extraction and underpricing of minerals in Zhytomyr region, the state sustained further damages amounting to 69 million UAH. The former head of the production and technical service department of the state-owned enterprise "Kirovgeologiya" is suspected of the crime. The first incident, causing damages of 47 million UAH, involved organizing industrial extraction of gabbro (“black granite”) outside the limits of the special permit and mining allotment. The second incident, with losses of around 22 million UAH, concerned selling gabbro at reduced prices, for which the official invented a new product category – “substandard block”. Investigators are currently identifying individuals involved in the scheme.
Source: Office of the Prosecutor General
Forest сrimes
In Sumy region, an entrepreneur felled nearly 2,400 trees on a leased plot. The environmental damage is huge – almost 36 million UAH. According to the lease agreement, the violator could use the land for haymaking and grazing livestock, but instead destroyed trees on self-afforested plots. The entrepreneur has been served a notice of suspicion.
Illegal logging using forged documents caused nearly 7.7 million UAH in damages in Chernivtsi region. The individuals involved are officials from the Berehomet Forestry and Hunting Enterprise, State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine". One prepared documents to justify the illegal logging on paper, while another ensured the offense was carried out. Both received notices of suspicion from the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). Investigators are now trying to determine what happened to the timber from more than 600 felled trees, as well as whether other foresters were involved in the scheme. The officials may face up to 10 years in prison, since the trees were partly destroyed in the territory of a nature reserve – the “Zubrovitsya” reserve.
Source: State Bureau of Investigation
Another crime by an official of "Forests of Ukraine" harmed the environment in Volyn region. The former forester of the Sokyrychi forestry branch “Polissia Forestry Office”, while still in office, organized the felling of 100 trees on the territory under his supervision. Naturally, he did not possess a logging permit for the work. However, the investigators seized the timber – they found 32 cubic meters. The man has so far been served a notice of suspicion. A preventive measure is currently being selected.
Source: State Bureau of Investigation
Over the course of six months, more than 1,000 trees were felled in forest plantations. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, two groups were caught carrying out illegal logging in the Pavlohrad district. A total of 15 local residents were implicated in the crime, including two law enforcement officers. Unsurprisingly, the timber was processed and sold. The damage to the environment amounted to almost 14 million hryvnias. Law enforcement officers carried out over 30 searches and served notices of suspicion on all those involved.
Source: Dnipropetrovsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office
Logging of self-seeded forest on leased land caused damages to the state exceeding UAH 4 million. An entrepreneur from Cherkasy region was charged after he organised the clearing of a 3.2-hectare area. Under his instruction, workers removed 331 trees without any official permits for logging. According to the investigation, the man disposed of the timber at his own discretion.
In Poltava region, illegal logging was organised by a forester from one of the forestry units of the “Slobozhansky Forest Office” Branch of State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine.” According to investigators, the official involved five local residents in the illegal activities and covered up their “work.” Environmental damages exceeded UAH 1.8 million. The official was notified of the charges, and the investigation is ongoing.
Source: Poltava Regional Prosecutor’s Office
In Volyn, nearly 5,000 pine trees were illegally felled in the Kovel district. At least that is the number of stumps found by employees of the State Ecological Inspectorate. The estimated damages total about UAH 20 million. The logging occurred on communal lands outside the village of Liubokhyny. A pre-trial investigation is currently underway.
Source: State Ecological Inspectorate in Volyn region
Environmental Pollution and Waste
Without servicing of the landfill – acts were signed and payment made. In Dnipro, six officials of municipal and private enterprises were notified of charges. Instead of the private company that was supposed to service the only official landfill in Dnipro, the work was carried out by a municipal enterprise of the city council. However, the municipal company signed acts for work that was never performed and paid for them from the city budget. In total, about UAH 15 million “leaked” from the Dnipro treasury in this scheme. The investigation is still in progress. EcoPolitics reported about searches in the city council in January.
Source: Dnipropetrovsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office
It turned the farm plots into an unauthorised rubbish tip. In the Kyiv region, law enforcement officers have notified the owner of two plots in the Bucha district of suspicion. Over a long period, a significant amount of household waste accumulated there. An expert examination revealed a significant excess of pollutant concentrations in the soil. As a result, the environmental damage amounted to over UAH 15 million.
They operated without an emissions permit and caused environmental damage totaling over UAH 8.7 million. In Dnipro, the production director of a company specializing in the manufacture of steel pipes and metal products was notified of suspicion. The business was issued an order to cease operations since the asset did not have a permit for atmospheric emissions. However, production did not stop, and pollutants continued to enter the air.
Source: Dnipro Regional Prosecutor's Office
For the large-scale fire at the municipal solid waste landfill, it is sought to recover UAH 7.9 million in damages from a private enterprise. About 2.2 hectares of landfill territory in Dnipro burned for two days, causing emissions of about 1,700 t of pollutants. In a previous EcoPolitika digest, it was reported that the indictment against the director is currently being considered by the court.
Source: Dnipro Regional Prosecutor's Office
Took money for unhindered access to the landfill. In Zakarpattia region, the director of a municipal enterprise who is an acting city council deputy has been notified of a new suspicion. Previously, law enforcement already exposed that the official admitted representatives of third-party firms to the landfill without permits, which allowed them to profit from waste sorting. It has now been established that the deputy received illegal benefits for this.
Source: Zakarpattia Regional Prosecutor's Office
Exceeded the discharge limits of wastewater into the Zbruch river. The head of one of the municipal enterprises in Ternopil region is suspected of this crime. As director, he failed to ensure compliance with environmental legislation, causing environmental damage exceeding UAH 1.2 million. Laboratory tests revealed a significant excess of phosphates, chlorides, petroleum products, and other harmful substances.
The landfill operated without any documents for a long period in the Serekhovychi community in Volyn. The court recognized the inaction of the local village council in waste management since threats to the normal operation of the landfill existed. Now the authority must process all the necessary title documents.
Struggle for valuable lands
У Nikopol district, back in 2020, more than 24 hectares of forest fund land were transferred to municipal ownership as forestry-designated land. In order to return these lands to the state, the prosecutor's office filed a lawsuit in court.
Prosecutors prevented two cases of illegal use of protected lands during geological works. For example, in Rivne region, the area "Pine Forest Plot" was excluded from future geological exploration. In Volyn, there is an ongoing court case seeking to exclude part of the "Chorna Dolyna" ornithological reserve from the list of lands allocated for amber extraction.
You can read the previous digest of environmental violations by following the link.
