Millions in losses for felled poplars: why the court overturned a decision in favor of Malyn City Council

The State Environmental Inspection of the Polissia region won an important appeal case against local authorities who tried to evade responsibility for the mass felling of poplars. The court clearly made it clear: if the police did not find the perpetrators, the community bears responsibility for the destroyed forest on its land.

Cut poplars and millions in losses

It all began in spring 2024 of this year. During another patrol near the village of Vyshnianka in the Malyn community, environmental inspectors came across a sad picture: unknown people illegally felled 36 poplars that grew on lands designated for forestry. After calculating damages of 1 503 827 hryvnias, the inspection handed over all materials to the police.

Since investigators still could not find those who cut the trees, environmental inspectors billed the Malyn city council for compensation. But officials refused to pay, stating that while a criminal investigation is ongoing, no one will pay anything. The first-instance court in July 2026 ruled in favor of the city council, declaring the claim premature. But the environmental inspectors did not agree with this and appealed.

What the appellate court decided

The Northwestern Appellate Economic Court canceled the previous decision and fully granted the environmentalists’ claim. The judges recalled a simple rule of the Forest Code: if those responsible for destroying the forest are not found, the damage must be compensated by the local government body on whose land it occurred. The presence or absence of an active criminal proceeding does not release the community from this responsibility.

Head of the State Environmental Inspection of the Polissia region, Yehor Medvedovskiy, emphasized that this decision creates an extremely important precedent for the entire country.