Illegal privatization during Kuchma’s time: how the state returned Medvedchuk’s land
9 February 15:17
At the end of January, 24 hectares of forest land in the Kyiv region, on which the dacha of Viktor Medvedchuk, co-founder of the banned Opposition Platform — For Life party , is located, officially became state property.
This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
On January 26, 2026, ownership of the land was registered to the state, marking the end of a long-standing dispute.
How the land passed into private hands
According to the prosecutor’s office, back in 2004, when Viktor Medvedchuk headed the Presidential Administration, the forest plot was illegally transferred to his private ownership.
The transfer took place:
- by decisions of the Kyiv Regional and Obukhiv District State Administrations;
- by exceeding the powers of these bodies;
- in violation of land and forestry legislation.
The forest lands were removed from state ownership, and their intended use was changed without the mandatory decision of the Cabinet of Ministers, which is a direct violation of the law.
Court and return of the land plot
The Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office appealed to the court and in 2024 obtained a decision to return the land plot to the state.
The legal formalities for this decision were completed in 2026, after the state registration of ownership rights.
The Office of the Prosecutor General emphasizes that this is not just about a specific property, but about the fundamental restoration of legality regarding forest lands that were illegally privatized in the 2000s.
Who is Viktor Medvedchuk and why is this case politically significant?
Viktor Medvedchuk is a former member of parliament, one of the leaders of the pro-Russian political camp in Ukraine, and the godfather of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukrainian law enforcement agencies suspect him of treason.
In September 2022, Ukraine handed Medvedchuk over to Russia during a large-scale prisoner exchange in exchange for the commanders of the Azovstal defense .
Medvedchuk currently lives in Russia with his family and has registered a public organization there called “Another Ukraine, “ which positions itself as a political project alternative to Ukrainian statehood.
Why this decision is important
The return of 24 hectares of forest demonstrates a review of decisions made during the era of political influence in the 2000s, as well as part of a broader campaign to de-oligarchize and return state property. It also has symbolic significance, given Medvedchuk’s status and role in relations between Ukraine and Russia.
