The Economic Court of Kyiv has begun hearing the lawsuit of the Specialized Environmental Prosecutor's Office of the Office of the Prosecutor General against the Institute of Fisheries of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine. The prosecutors are demanding the annulment of the state cadastral registration of two plots of land with a total area of over 230 hectares and the termination of the right of permanent use of one of them, which has an area of 14.5 hectares.

This concerns the territory of the Svyatoshyn Ponds in Kyiv - a cascade of artificial water bodies on the Nivka River, which, according to land and water legislation, belong to the lands of the water fund. These lands were transferred to the Institute exclusively for scientific and research work in the field of fish farming.

Despite this, preparatory work for the construction of a closed cottage village was started on one of the plots without changing its intended purpose: 179 townhouses of various classes and 21 apartment buildings. For this purpose, part of the ponds was filled in, and the landscape of the area was leveled. In 2022, the land under the ponds was divided into two separate plots and registered in the State Land Cadastre as lands for residential and public development, which effectively opened the way for large-scale construction.

Environmental prosecutors insist: the lands occupied by the Svyatoshyn Ponds cannot belong to construction lands, as they are lands of the water fund with a special environmental protection status. These water bodies have significant ecological importance: they support water balance, microclimate, contribute to water purification, and moisture accumulation. The territory borders the Holosiivskyi National Nature Park and is part of the floodplain landscape that preserves biodiversity and reduces the risks of negative consequences of urbanization.

Scientists from the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine also warn: construction in this area will lead to a disruption of the hydrological regime, a decrease in the water purification capacity of the Nivka River, and the destruction of the pond ecosystem.

To prevent further work, during the court proceedings, at the request of the prosecutor's office, the court applied measures to secure the claim - prohibiting any construction or other actions that may damage the plot of 14.5 hectares.

Prosecutors continue to advocate for the restoration of the legal environmental protection status of this territory and the prevention of its development.