In the Ternopil region, the state-owned enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” must pay ₴1.9 million for the illegal logging of someone else’s forest

The Commercial Court of Ternopil Oblast granted the claim filed by the Ternopil Oblast Prosecutor’s Office and ordered the state-owned enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” to pay 1.9 million hryvnias in damages for the illegal logging of trees.

This case involves 167 trees that employees of the state-owned enterprise illegally cut down in the “Yasinovets” tract. However, the trees did not belong to the forestry enterprise but to the municipal enterprise “Borshchivskyi Kommunalnik.”

As established during the investigation of the criminal case, employees of the state-owned enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” illegally cut down 167 trees in the “Yasinovets” tract.

However, the felled trees were owned by another enterprise—the “Borshchivsky Kommunalnik” municipal enterprise.

After establishing the facts of the case, prosecutors filed a civil lawsuit seeking compensation for the damage caused to the state.

Following the consideration of the claim, the Commercial Court of Ternopil Oblast granted the claims of the Ternopil Oblast Prosecutor’s Office in the interests of the state.

Consequently, the state-owned enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” must pay 1.9 million hryvnias into the budget as compensation for the damage caused by the illegal logging of trees.

Separately, criminal proceedings against two officials of the state-owned enterprise are ongoing.

Last May, they were notified that they were suspected of violating Part 2 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—official negligence resulting in serious consequences.

Currently, the criminal case against the two officials of the state-owned enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” is being heard in court.

This was reported by the press service of the Ternopil Regional Prosecutor’s Office.

In the Lviv region, law enforcement officers uncovered the illegal felling of 28 fir trees on the territory of the “Hai” Landscape Reserve. The trees were illegally cut down in the Smozhansky Forest District of the “Slavske Forestry” branch of the State Forestry Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine.” The damage caused to the environment exceeds 2.5 million hryvnias.

Earlier in the Carpathian region, law enforcement officers exposed two officials from the Ivano-Frankivsk Forest District, a branch of the “Carpathian Forest Office” of the State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine.” According to the investigation, they sold timber to business owners off the books and accepted money in return. Both men were detained during the handover of another 80,000 hryvnias.

Earlier, the Security Service of Ukraine and the Office of the Prosecutor General announced that they had placed Fedir Khrystenko, a sitting member of parliament from the banned Opposition Platform—For Life party, under suspicion. He is accused of high treason and abuse of influence.

In Kyiv, a man set a soldier’s car on fire; charges have been filed.

In the Kharkiv region, a traitor was sentenced to 15 years for arson and coordinating Russian strikes.