Pine is not guilty: a 6.5 million UAH forest scam was discovered in the Volyn region

In the Volyn region, a pre-trial investigation has been completed against three forestry workers suspected of attempting to cut down trees worth more than 6.5 million hryvnias illegally.

The indictment has already been submitted to the court.

It was established that an assistant forester, along with two engineers, submitted forged documents to the relevant authority, which stated that 325 pine trees were supposedly damaged or diseased. In contrast, the trees were indeed healthy.

Based on these documents, officials received permission to cut them down. According to preliminary estimates, the environmental damage resulting from the destruction of the wood above could exceed 6.5 million hryvnias.

The very next day, after the logging tickets were issued, employees of the State Bureau of Investigation and the Security Service of Ukraine stopped the suspects. They did not have time to carry out the felling.

Additionally, in the Ternopil region, the actions of a serviceman were halted by the State Bureau of Investigation in collaboration with the internal security of the police and the Security Service of Ukraine. He attempted to organize an illegal scheme by offering a resident a fake certificate of unfitness for military service. The intention was to remove the man from the military register. For his “services,” the serviceman demanded $25,000, of which $20,000 had to be paid in advance and the rest after receiving the documents. In case of refusal, he threatened to accelerate mobilization.