Illegal logging costs Ukraine over 1 billion hryvnia in 2024, report finds

Illegal felling of trees in Ukraine inflicted losses of 1.09 billion hryvnia (about USD 27 million) in 2024, according to a new study by the Forest Initiatives and Communities NGO.

The findings were presented at the Media Center Ukraine by Nataliia Kaplia, a legal expert with the organization.

“According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, actual compensation for the damage caused by illegal logging in 2024 was just 3.5%. The level of recovery is therefore very low,” Kaplia said.

Alongside the study, experts proposed measures to produce complete statistics on Illegal timber harvesting, including introducing a unified reporting system, monitoring the investigation of criminal cases, and ensuring the timely transfer of proceedings to judicial authorities.

Read more: https://mediacenter.org.ua/news