Forest resources are of strategic importance to the state and society. They are protected by law, and illegal logging carries criminal liability. The prosecutor's office, together with law enforcement agencies, is actively combating illegal logging.

Kirovohrad Region

Prosecutors of the Specialized Environmental Prosecutor's Office of the Kirovohrad Regional Prosecutor's Office reported suspicion against an official of a state enterprise for improper performance of official duties due to negligent attitude towards them, which caused severe consequences for the state interests protected by law (Part 2 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

It has been established that the foreman of the Novomyrhorod forestry of the "Onykiivske Forestry" branch of the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine" allowed illegal logging of trees within the territory of a nature reserve – the local significance forest reserve "Novomyrhorodskyi-2".

As a result of the illegal actions of the suspect, which were uncovered and documented in close cooperation with the Department of Internal and Economic Security of the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine" and the State Environmental Inspection of the Dnipro Region, an unjustified logging of 225 trees was carried out.

The damage to the environment is estimated at nearly 5 million hryvnias.

The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by the Third Investigative Department (located in Kropyvnytskyi) of the Territorial Administration of the State Bureau of Investigations, based in Mykolaiv, with operational support from the Security Service of Ukraine in 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 court verdict.

Kyiv Region

The prosecutor's office continues the investigation of a large-scale case regarding a criminal organization that systematically logged forests in the Bucha district.

The investigation has established that the foreman of the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine," who is also an employee of a law enforcement agency, organized a stable hierarchical association of eight individuals. The group included other forestry workers, local residents, and accomplices who facilitated the transportation and sale of illegally harvested timber.

As established by the investigation, during 2024–2025, the participants of the organization logged trees of the species "pine" and "oak" in the forests near the village of Dibrivka in the Bucha district, including within the territory of the nature reserve.

The felled timber was transported by tractors and trucks, processed into firewood and commercial timber, and sold to the public for cash without being recorded in the accounting records.

In July and August of this year, seven other participants of this criminal organization have already been notified of suspicion. Among them are co-organizers, executors, and accomplices who facilitated the allocation of areas for logging, understated the volumes of timber, and covered up illegal activities through official documents and fictitious agreements.

Five episodes of illegal logging, transportation, storage, and sale of timber have been documented.

According to expert conclusions, the state has suffered damages amounting to nearly 2 million hryvnias.

The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by the Bucha District Police Department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Kyiv region under the procedural guidance of the Bucha District Prosecutor's Office.

We emphasize: the destruction of forests is a crime against nature, the state, and future generations. All those involved in barbaric logging will be held accountable under the law.