Jan. 21, 2026, 4:16 p.m.
In Odesa, a court found an entrepreneur guilty of unauthorized construction of an extension to a bar. The man expanded the bar's premises, although he had no documents for the construction work.
This is evidenced by the ruling of the Prymorskyi District Court of Odesa.
The history of this facility dates back to 2006, when the man became the owner of a 75 m² non-residential premises of the Magellan bar at 96 Kanatna Street. The said non-residential premises of the bar is currently called "P2 Vape ape coffee" and, based on the lease agreement dated 01.07.2019, was used for the purpose of carrying out business activities for the sale of food flavors.
In 2011, at the tenant's request, the Department of Architecture and Urban Development issued a permit for a temporary summer terrace, a collapsible wooden structure on the sidewalk next to the bar. The platform had an open veranda with a boardwalk, decorative fencing, and a foundation made of wooden piles, and the entrance was supposed to be from the bar.
Subsequently, the issued permits lost their legal force: the passport for binding temporary summer sites from 2016 was canceled, and no agreements for the use of places for temporary structures were concluded with the defendant. He also did not receive a construction passport or urban planning conditions for capital construction.
Nevertheless, in 2018, the man decided to expand the bar and built a major one-story extension with a foundation, ceramic tile walls, glass showcases and a separate entrance, increasing the area of the premises to 161.6 m².
To do this, he ordered technical documentation from Profproekt, which artificially reflected the increase in area, and in January 2018, the state registrar registered the ownership of the newly built premises. Later, the building was divided into two separate premises, which were also registered.
The investigation found that the extension was located on a land plot in the security zone of the heating networks owned by the community, and the violation was confirmed by acts of the OdesaHeatSupply Utility and orders to eliminate violations. The city council did not make a decision to transfer the land to the man's ownership or use. The total area of the illegally occupied land plot was 51 m².
The defendant denied his guilt in court, claiming that the construction was allegedly carried out under permits and that the building was not capital. However, he did not provide any documents confirming the right to build or use the land plot.
The court found the man guilty under Part 4 of Art. 197-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (unauthorized construction) and sentenced him to two years in prison, with a one-year probation period. During this period, he is obliged to periodically report to the probation authorities and inform them of any changes in his place of residence, work or study.
In December last year, the head of the Odesa Dolphinarium was notified of suspicion over unauthorized construction on Lanzheron Beach. The court imposed house arrest on him until January 26, 2026. A complex of buildings, including swimming pools, bars, playgrounds, and food courts, fenced with stone flower beds and a metal fence, appeared on the territory of the dolphinarium.
Анна Бальчінос