Ukraine loses over 40,000 cubic meters of timber to illegal logging in past year

Illegal logging in Ukraine claimed more than 40,000 cubic meters of timber over the past year, according to a new report by a watchdog group.

The findings, presented at the Media Center Ukraine, underscore the country’s lack of a centralized system to track illegal logging, making it difficult for policymakers to respond effectively.

“Last year, 5,295 cases of illegal logging were recorded, during which nearly 40,000 cubic meters of timber were cut down,” said Dmytro Karabchuk, CEO of the Forest Initiatives and Communities NGO. “That’s roughly 22 truckloads of timber, which accounts for 0.27% of the legal harvest in 2024.”

The report also noted that the state has recovered compensation for only 1.6% of the losses.

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