Prosecutors of the Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office, together with police investigators, the Security Service of Ukraine, and under the operational support of the DSR of the National Police, uncovered large-scale violations in the field of environmental protection, budget funds management, and property.

Within the framework of one of the criminal proceedings, illegal extraction of over 7,700 cubic meters of sand from the Danube River within the marine port of "Ust-Dunaysk" has been documented.

Two heads of transport companies and the mayor of the city of Vylkove are involved in the organization of illegal activities. According to the investigation, under the guise of dredging works, without the necessary permits, the entrepreneurs extracted sand for the construction of a private terminal in the Izmail district. The official facilitated the criminal scheme in exchange for a promise of employment at the port.

The environmental damage, according to the State Environmental Inspection, amounts to over 170 million UAH.

During the searches, special equipment, draft documentation, and other evidence were seized.

The suspects have been notified of suspicion under Part 3 of Article 240 and Part 2 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, while the mayor is charged under Part 5 of Article 27 and Part 3 of Article 240 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Preventive measures have been chosen for the two organizers - detention with the possibility of posting bail in the amount of 60 million UAH. Regarding the official, a motion has been submitted to the court for the application of a similar preventive measure.

Separately, within the framework of other criminal proceedings, suspicion has been announced:

•To the former director of the state enterprise "DG named after M.I. Kutuzov" - for embezzlement of over 2.2 million UAH by selling the state enterprise's products at undervalued prices.

•To the former head of the supply and maintenance unit of the emergency rescue squad of the special purpose of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in the Odesa region - for official negligence that led to the loss of property worth over 400 thousand UAH.

•To the former head of the education department of the Dobroslav village council - for embezzlement of about 500 thousand UAH during the repair of the roof of an educational institution.

•To a deputy of the Fontanska village council - for embezzlement of nearly 165 thousand UAH during the construction of a family medicine clinic in the village of Novi Troiany.

•To the head of the Dobroslav village council - for the misuse of 1 million UAH of budget funds for fictitious ecological analysis services.

•To the head of the Starokozatska village council - for official negligence that led to the embezzlement of 1 million UAH during the implementation of an energy efficiency project.

•To the director of the utility company "Komunalnyk" - for granting permission for the disposal of liquid waste with a high content of petroleum products at the landfill, which caused environmental damage of 23 million UAH.

•To the head of a private construction company - for embezzling 163 thousand UAH of budget funds during the construction of the clinic.

•To the head of a private legal entity and the technical supervision engineer - for embezzling over 300 thousand UAH during the repair of the protective shelter.

In total, the amount of direct budget losses exceeds 6.3 million UAH, and environmental damage is nearly 200 million UAH.

Pre-trial investigations under Part 2, 4, 5 of Article 191, Part 2 of Article 209, Part 2 of Article 364, Part 1, 2 of Article 367, Part 5 of Article 27, Part 3 of Article 240, and Article 236 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine are being conducted under the procedural guidance of the Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office, the Specialized Environmental Prosecutor's Office, and the district prosecutor's offices of the region.

Note: according to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in a lawful manner and established by a guilty verdict of the court.