A district council member tried to stop the demolition of illegal structures on the banks of the Dniester River

Work has begun within the Lower Dniester National Nature Park to dismantle illegally erected structures that have stood for years in the riparian protection zone without the required permits. Grigory Melnichenko, a member of the Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky District Council, attempted to halt the work.

According to the national park’s press office, on September 2, work began on the left bank of the Dniester to demolish gazebos, platforms, huts, trailers, and other structures that had been illegally located for years in the Nadlymanskyi section of the park.

Over the summer, park staff conducted an inventory of these structures and subsequently surveyed the area together with representatives of the State Emergency Service and the district administration.

<picture></picture>PHOTO: Lower Dniester National Nature Park.

During the inspection, it was found that a significant portion of the structures were in poor or hazardous condition. Specifically, this included flammable materials, a lack of fire extinguishers, worn-out structures, and rusty nails.

Park officials emphasized that this area is not simply a “riverbank,” but part of the Ramsar Sites and the Emerald Network, which hold special conservation value. Natural ecosystems should be preserved here, rather than allowing unregulated development to take place.

The dismantling will be carried out in stages. Park staff will monitor the work and document the results.

<picture></picture>PHOTO: Lower Dniester National Nature Park.

Volunteers from the civic organization “Black Battalion” have joined the dismantling effort free of charge. They are providing equipment and assisting with the work. The survey materials were also submitted to the State Environmental Inspection.

Grigory Melnichenko, the former chairman of the Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky District Council in Odesa Oblast, spoke out against the dismantling. He arrived at the site, filmed the process, and publicly called the volunteers “titushki.”

Subsequently, the district council deputy appealed to the leadership of the Odesa Regional State Administration with a request to halt the dismantling.

Melnichenko is involved in the region’s environmental protection sector through the nonprofit organization “21st Century Hunters and Fishermen Society,” which he heads. A related entity—“21st Century Hunter and Fisherman LLC”—is headed by his relative, Viktor Melnichenko.

In December 2023, the publication “Schemes” reported that Grigory Melnichenko, while serving as chairman of the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi District Council, purchased two plots of land worth nearly one million hryvnias during Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. He was accused of illegally appropriating state property.

Melnichenko had previously been detained by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in connection with a case involving the embezzlement of state inspection agency property.

In June 2026, he stated that he had filed a lawsuit demanding the cancellation of an order by the national park’s special administration, which, effective June 15, had imposed a temporary restriction on people’s access to the banks of the Hlybokyi Turunchuk River. At the time, Melnichenko stated that all employees of the national park should be fired.

Ірина Глухова