Odesa region exposes illegal construction of hotels on the Dniester coast

The water fund lands near the Dniester were actually built up as a resort area. The court allowed the site to be re-inspected, in a case where there are suspicions of falsification of documents and violation of land use rules.

This was reported by the Center for Public Investigations.

The judge authorized the inspection of the land plot in the framework of criminal proceedings on forgery. It is about the possible illegal use of water fund lands and construction not for their intended purpose.

According to the investigation, in May 2008, the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi District State Administration leased a 34.3-hectare plot to the private enterprise First Dniester Fishery for 25 years. It is located outside of settlements - on the 43rd kilometer of the Odesa-Reni highway, within the boundaries of the Udobne village council, and belongs to the water fund.

The site's structure included 0.046 hectares for capital development, 0.949 hectares for roads and sites, 5.434 hectares for hydraulic structures, 5.123 hectares for open land without vegetation, and 22.748 hectares for artificial reservoirs. At the same time, 14,825 hectares are located in the coastal protection zone of the Dniester, and another 4,241 hectares are in the power line protection zone, which imposes additional restrictions on use.

Subsequently, the lease agreement was amended: the land plot was divided into separate parts with the areas and cadastral numbers determined. At the same time, law enforcement officers found that the company had used the land for other purposes - a hotel complex was built on a 1.3986-hectare plot allocated for fisheries. In addition, hotels are also being built or have already been built on other leased water fund lands, including an area of 1.2874 hectares.

The investigation believes that such actions may indicate misuse of land, unauthorized construction in areas with special regime, as well as possible official forgery - entering false data into official documents.

According to the case file, the land plot is owned by the Mayakivka Village Council and leased to the company under an agreement dated June 25, 2009. The inspection will be carried out with the involvement of specialists and forensic experts to record possible violations and use this data in the investigation.

Earlier, on March 17, 2026, the court refused to reopen the inspection, as a similar permit had already been granted in November 2025, and the investigator had not justified the need for a new inspection. This time, however, the judge recognized that the review was necessary for a full and objective clarification of the circumstances.

The court also noted that it was impossible to obtain the necessary information in any other way, as it could indicate illegal actions of the persons involved. As a result, the motion was granted, and the investigators were allowed to inspect the site along with all the buildings and structures located there.

Анна Бальчінос