Environmental Prosecutor's Office stops illegal beach lease in Odesa

About 30 lawsuits are pending in Odesa to challenge previously concluded beach lease agreements. The cases concern attempts to bring the use of the coast in line with the law and protect the beaches from illegal alienation.

This was reported by the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office.

As noted in the press service, Odesa is a popular resort city that attracts thousands of tourists every year for recreation and beach holidays. Access to the Black Sea coast has become especially important during the full-scale invasion, as Odesa is the city where the largest number of beach areas in southern Ukraine have been officially opened.

Back in 2007, the Odesa City Council approved the Rules for the Equipment and Operation of Beaches, which defined land plots on the Black Sea coast as structures. This approach allowed beaches to be leased without competitive procedures, which reduced local budget revenues and created risks of illegal alienation of land for private development.

Current legislation clearly classifies beaches as non-developable land. Their use is possible only on a competitive basis, which allows for effective replenishment of the city budget.

The Specialized Environmental Prosecutor's Office of the Prosecutor General's Office filed a lawsuit demanding that the city council's rules be brought into compliance with the law. In response, on November 19, 2025, at a regular session, the city council repealed the old rules.

Prosecutors are currently monitoring the unlawful provision of beaches for use as facilities, without holding tenders and selecting an economically advantageous offer, which violates the Water and Land Codes and the Law of Ukraine "On Land Lease".

Recently, a court in Odesa ordered the owners of theIthaca club to pay over UAH 2.8 million in arrears for land lease. The prosecutor's office found that the company, which owns a hotel with an area of more than 7,000 square meters, used the land plot on Genoese Street in 2020-2023 without paying rent.

According to the courts, about 30 lawsuits are currently pending challenging previously concluded beach lease agreements.

Анна Бальчінос