Officials in the Kherson region will face trial for illegal logging worth 8 million hryvnias

Three forestry officials in the Kherson region have been notified that they are suspected of illegally cutting down more than 2,200 trees in the Velykooleksandrivka Forest District. 

According to a March 24 statement from the Office of the Prosecutor General, the acting director and forester of the state-owned enterprise “Velykokopanivsk Forestry and Hunting Enterprise,” together with the chief specialist of the relevant interregional department, organized a scheme to harvest timber for sale. The investigation established that the perpetrators used a section of forest damaged by fires in 2022 as a cover for a large-scale scheme, thereby causing the state losses amounting to nearly 8 million UAH.

To circumvent the mandatory environmental impact assessment procedure, the suspects artificially divided the 3.5-hectare plot into smaller sectors of up to 1 hectare each. This allowed them to obtain logging permits without following the procedure established by law and to begin logging without proper environmental inspections. The acting director and the forester are charged with abuse of official authority and illegal logging by prior conspiracy, while the representative of the interregional administration is charged with aiding and abetting these crimes.

Law enforcement officials have documented the illegal activities and are currently deciding on preventive measures for the detainees. 

The prosecutor’s officeprevented the destruction of 20 plots of century-old forest near Bukovel.