The director of a brick factory in the Ternopil region is suspected of illegal extraction of mineral resources

The company’s director organized the illegal extraction of sandy loam worth 52.9 million hryvnias near the village of Skorodynci, outside the licensed area of the deposit. 

According to the investigation, between 2023 and 2025, using his official position and the plant’s facilities, over 14,800 cubic meters of a mixture of sand and clay were extracted. The raw materials were used to produce bricks, which were subsequently sold without paying the required taxes to the budget.

The Chortkiv District Prosecutor’s Office has already notified the director of his status as a suspect in the large-scale illegal extraction of locally significant mineral resources. An expert assessment confirmed that the state suffered losses amounting to 52.9 million hryvnias as a result of these unlawful activities. A pre-trial investigation is currently underway regarding the violation of rules for the protection or use of subsoil resources under Part 3 of Article 240 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Following a decision by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, a comprehensive audit of all Ukrainian subsoil resources and their users has begun. This is a priority issue for the Ukrainian authorities.

During the session, Uzhhorod City Council member Valentin Shtefanyo presented Mayor Bohdan Andriyiv with a plastic shovel to protest a 12.7-hectare land project related to subsoil use. The council member expressed doubt about the feasibility of amber extraction on this site and joked about the possibility of finding “gold.”