The Office of the Prosecutor General is conducting a large-scale fight against environmental crimes in the state forestry sector. In just the past few weeks, over 167 million UAH in damages have been recorded due to corrupt actions, illegal logging, and abuses within the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine." Additionally, nearly 140 million UAH represents the value of unjustified assets, undeclared property, and signs of illegal enrichment of forestry officials.

There are 349 lawsuits in the courts regarding the return of 7,511 hectares of forests. The ecological prosecutor's office has already secured the return of 175 hectares. The total amount of damages in cases where pre-trial investigations have been completed exceeds 351 million UAH.

The focus is on the activities of the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine" and its regional subdivisions, where numerous facts of abuse, organized schemes of illegal logging, and enrichment of officials have been uncovered.

? The general director of the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine" has been detained, who in 2021, while serving as the Head of the State Agency for Forest Resources, acquired assets worth 10.4 million UAH, significantly exceeding his legal income. In particular, an apartment in Kyiv worth over 9 million UAH, registered in the name of a front person, was actually used by the individual involved. The official has been notified of suspicion under Article 368-5 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

? A large-scale scheme of timber theft has been uncovered, involving employees of the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine" and the State Enterprise "LIAZ." The scheme involved unauthorized changes in the accounting system of the Unified State Register, including the reuse of tags, manipulations with logging volumes, and data in electronic shipping documents. The cost of "services" ranged from 5,000 to 30,000 UAH. One organizer of the scheme was paid over 10 million UAH. More than 10,000 unauthorized changes in the system have been established. 13 individuals have already received suspicions, and the involvement of over 100 more individuals is being verified.

? In Dnipropetrovsk region, the director of the State Enterprise "Dniprovsk Forest Economy" illegally issued logging tickets without permits for logging in the regional landscape park "Dniprovsk Forests." The state has suffered damages of nearly 34 million UAH. A suspicion has been announced under part 2 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

? In Transcarpathia, there are several facts of destruction of forest plantations:

• The head of the Svidovets forestry allowed the logging of 84 trees in a protected area. The amount of damages is 4.5 million UAH.

• A suspicion has been announced against an official from the same forestry who allowed the illegal logging of 3,400 trees worth over 55.8 million UAH.

? Zhytomyr region. The specialized ecological prosecutor's office has uncovered officials who caused damages to the state exceeding 23 million UAH.

▪️ An official of the state enterprise "Hrozyne" organized illegal logging — damage of 14.6 million UAH.

▪️ A forest master from the "Kyiv Forest Office" branch of the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine" allowed the unauthorized logging of 286 trees — damages of 2.4 million UAH.

▪️ The head of a company exported prohibited timber worth over 5 million UAH using forged documents.

? In Poltava region, an organized group of six individuals has been uncovered, who carried out illegal logging in forest belts and the "Lyzniana Balka" reserve. The amount of environmental damage is over 3.4 million UAH. Tools of the crime have been seized. The participants have been notified of suspicion under part 4 of Article 246 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

? In Volyn, a former director and an engineer of the Volyn forestry have been uncovered for logging 409 trees in the Turiy Forest District, causing damages of 3.2 million UAH.

▪️ Also in Volyn, a leading engineer of the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine" branch issued an illegal logging ticket, which led to the logging of 188 trees in the protected zone of the Ustyluh Forestry. Damages amount to over 1.1 million UAH. Pre-trial investigation is ongoing.

At the same time, prosecutors from the Office of the Prosecutor General, in cooperation with regional prosecutors, are providing procedural guidance in dozens of cases regarding illegal logging, the sale of timber without accounting, abuse of office, and illegal enrichment:

▪️ Negligence of one of the leaders of the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine" during the procurement of 11 tractors that did not meet the tender conditions but were forcibly distributed among branches. Damages - 1.6 million UAH.

▪️ The former director of the Kostopil forestry is suspected of illegal enrichment of over 44 million UAH and false declaration of 46 million UAH.

▪️ The deputy director of the Polissia Forest Office, a deputy of the Rivne Regional Council, is suspected of enrichment of nearly 100 million UAH.

▪️ The former deputy director of the Central Office - assets worth 13 million UAH do not correspond to income, and there are false data in declarations amounting to 26 million UAH.

▪️ The former deputy director of the Kyiv Office - unjustified assets of over 13 million UAH, with false data in declarations exceeding 25 million UAH.

▪️ Chyhyryn forestry - an organized scheme of illegal logging and fictitious contracts for millions of sums.

Cases that have already been sent to court:

? Ivano-Frankivsk region: members of an organized criminal group logged 1,737 trees in the "Hutsulshchyna" National Park. Environmental damages - nearly 258 million UAH. A forest master from the same forestry is charged with illegal logging amounting to 25 million UAH.

? Volyn region: a criminal organization involving employees of the "Kamin-Kashyrsk Forest Economy" branch has been uncovered. 14 suspects, damages - 64 million UAH.

? Lviv region: 4 officials from the "Rava-Ruska Forest Economy" branch are suspected of illegal logging amounting to 14.5 million UAH.

? Zhytomyr: the head of the waste landfill of the Zhytomyr City Council, who caused pollution of forest lands, resulting in damages of 840,000 UAH.

? Transcarpathia:

• the director of the "Enchanted Land" National Park, who illegally allowed logging in the protected fund, causing damages of 500,000 UAH;

• an organized group that logged forests in the Yasinia community area.

• an official from the Velyky Bereznyi forestry, whose actions caused damages to the state amounting to 3 million UAH.

The Office of the Prosecutor General consistently and fundamentally responds to all facts of illegal enrichment, abuse of office, and environmental crimes in the forestry sector. The assets of the suspects are being seized, and lawsuits for the recovery of damages caused to the state are being filed.

The law is the only mechanism for protecting national natural resources. And it will work!