Russian shelling causes forest fires: in response, the industry is modernizing its firefighting infrastructure
27 January 15:15
The Central Forest Office branch of the State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” is actively implementing modernization and fire protection measures. In 2025, more than 3.6 thousand km of mineralized strips were equipped, 16.8 thousand hectares of forest plantations were maintained, and new fire trucks and equipment were installed. This was reported in an interview with the publication Vycherpno by Volodymyr Kasukhnych, director of the Central Forest Office branch of the State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine,” according to
Volodymyr Kasukhnych noted that forest safety and ensuring the social and defense needs of the state remain the top priorities.
The company also carries out reforestation and maintenance logging to preserve healthy plantations, which allows for the effective use of resources and increases the ecological sustainability of forests.
“Since the beginning of the war, there has been a ban on visiting forests, but citizens do not always comply with it, which creates additional risks. We are constantly improving fire safety measures and monitoring the sanitary condition of plantations,” the official said.
In 2025, there were 66 fires on 185.6 hectares, including 20 cases caused by Russian shelling. To prevent fires, 3,600 km of mineralized strips have been created and 16,800 hectares of existing ones have been maintained. In addition, the branch received two new fire trucks and 34 off-road vehicles for patrolling forests.
Forest restoration and maintenance logging remain important areas of focus.
“In 2025, we carried out reforestation on an area of 1,558.2 hectares and thinning on 12,400 hectares. This allows us to grow healthy plantations that will be resistant to climate change, diseases, and pests,” Kasukhnych emphasized.
The director added that foresters are actively working on afforestation and the protection of natural forests.
“Together with the communities, we have managed to take more than 419 hectares of self-forested land under protection. This work is not only for the sake of resources, but also for the preservation of nature for future generations,” he said.
The branch is also developing recreational infrastructure: in 2025, one new recreational center was built in the Vinnytsia region, four more are under construction, and a total of 19 “Lisovychky” are already in operation.
“We want people to choose comfortable and safe recreation in the forest instead of wild recreation,” Kasukhnych emphasized.
As
Reference: The Central Forest Office branch of the State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” is one of the largest structural units of the enterprise, covering three regions at once — Vinnytsia, Cherkasy, and Kirovohrad.
