Protecting the environment: The SBI investigates hundreds of environmental crimes even during the war
While Ukraine is facing external aggression, another struggle is underway within the country — the fight to preserve our natural resources. At a time when every hectare of forest, every plot of land, and every water reservoir are of strategic importance, certain officials are attempting to exploit the situation for their own personal gain.
The employees of the State Bureau of Investigation are systematically combating such crimes and demonstrating thateven in time of war, accountability for environmental destruction is inevitable.
As of 2022, it has been established that individuals involved in environmental cases have obtained nearly UAH 398 million in illegal profits. To compensate the state for the damages, assets worth over UAH 358 million have been seized.
It is not about only single cases. These are large-scale violations: illegal logging, illegal amber mining, abuses in the mineral resources sector, and water pollution. Such actions directly impact not only the environment but also the economy and the defense capabilities of the country.
In total, since 2022, the employees of the SBI have:
- registered 795 criminal proceedings related to environmental issues;
- investigated 2,618 criminal proceedings;
- sent 411 indictments against 658 individuals to the court.
The total amount of damages assessed exceeded UAH 2.6 billion, of which nearly UAH 128 million have already been recovered.
The work continues. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, 56 indictments against 84 individuals were sent to the court.
Recent examples include:
- In March 2026, an indictment was sent against a company official who organized the illegal mining of amber. The state suffered losses amounting to UAH 306 million;
- That same month, indictment was sent to the court against the chief forester of one of the enterprises, who had allowed large-scale illegal logging—more than 6,000 trees—resulting in damages exceeding UAH 56 million.
These investigations are just part of a systematic effort. The SBI consistently identifies and documents violations, regardless of the positions or status of those involved.
Environmental protection today is not just a matter of ecology. It is a matter of economic sustainability, community safety, and the country’s future recovery. Lost resources cannot be quickly restored, and therefore every crime that is uncovered represents a preserved opportunity for the state.
The struggle for natural resources has become part of the broader struggle for Ukraine. And in this work, the SBI upholds the principle that no violation will stay disregard.
