Illegal logging in Chornobyl zone causes over UAH 77M in environmental damage

Law enforcement officials have charged the director of a limited liability company with illegally felling more than 1,000 trees in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, resulting in environmental damage estimated at over UAH 77 million.

This was reported on Telegram by the Kyiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, according to Ukrinform.

“Under the procedural guidance of the Vyshhorod District Prosecutor’s Office, the director of the LLC has been charged with illegal logging within the territory of the Chornobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve (Part 4, Article 246 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine),” authorities stated.

According to the investigation, the company had a subcontract with PJSC NEC Ukrenergo, under which the contractor was responsible for independently obtaining all necessary permits to clear power lines in the exclusion zone.

However, the director allegedly violated the terms of the agreement and, without proper authorization, organized the illegal felling of 1,023 trees.

Prosecutors confirmed that the resulting environmental damage exceeds UAH 77 million.

As previously reported by Ukrinform, in August, authorities uncovered another illegal logging scheme in the Kharkiv region, which caused losses of UAH 12 million.

Photo: Kyiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office