Former Mykolaiv Deputy Charged with Illegal Groundwater Extraction Causing ₴6M in State Losses

A former deputy of the Mykolaiv City Council, now a lawyer, and three of his accomplices set up a business selling drinking water in Mykolaiv. The case against them was brought to court.

According to the Mykolaiv Regional Prosecutor's Office, they are accused of illegal extraction of mineral resources, including groundwater, which caused the state losses of more than UAH 6 million.

According to the investigation, the criminals were illegally extracting groundwater in 2023 without the necessary permits. They then produced, packaged and sold drinking water to the public, violating the rules for the use of natural resources. This violation caused significant damage to the public interest.

As a result, the Mishkovo-Pohoriliv village council filed a civil lawsuit for the amount of damages. The court also seized the property of the defendants worth over UAH 1 million.

The ex-deputy and his accomplices face imprisonment for a term of 5 to 8 years.

Earlier, a court in Mykolaiv imposed a pre-trial restraint on a defendant in a case of illegal groundwater extraction. As part of a criminal group organized by a former deputy of the Mykolaiv City Council, the woman extracted water and then sold it at drinking water points in the city.

Last year, there was a similar case with the sale of drinking water in the city. In Mykolaiv, there were dealers who decided to make money. They collected purified water at free dispensing points and then sold it.

In January, an illegal sand mining quarry was discovered in Mykolaiv region. In the forest near the village of Mykhailo-Laryne, within the Voskresenska village community, a huge pit was found dug by black miners with tractors. It turned out that illegal sand mining had been going on for two years.

Ірина Глухова