Fictitious Decisions and a Private Company: How Land in the Chernobyl Zone Was Removed from State Ownership
13 April 18:40
Prosecutors have filed a lawsuit with the Commercial Court of Kyiv Oblast regarding the illegal use of land in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
The case involves three land plots with a total area of over 190 hectares, located in the Vyshhorod district.
The prosecutor’s office is demanding that these lands be returned to state ownership.
What is the violation?
According to the investigation:
- the land was in use by a state agency
- their status was illegally changed to municipal ownership
- afterward, the plots were transferred to a private company
Since 2020, in these areas:
- wheat and corn have been grown
- without special permission
This poses potential health risks due to possible radiation contamination.
How did this become possible
Investigators identified several key points:
- the basis was a decision by the Polissya District Council, which does not actually exist
- old state land deeds were used
- they were issued to the company “Svitanok,” which:
- is in the process of liquidation
- has no legal successors
In other words, the legal basis for the land transfer was effectively falsified.
What is happening now
- The court has opened proceedings in the case
- A preliminary hearing has been scheduled
- A pre-trial investigation is underway
The Prosecutor’s Office states that its position is supported by:
- the evidence gathered
- the results of expert examinations
Why this matters
The Chernobyl disaster has made these territories unsafe for permanent residence and economic activity.
The use of such lands:
- may pose a risk to human health
- calls into question the state’s control over the exclusion zone
- raises questions about the scale of such schemes
