Resident of Odesa region convicted for seizing land near the river

The Tatarbunary District Court of Odesa Region found a local resident guilty of unauthorized occupation of a land plot in a protected area and sentenced him to three years in prison.

However, as noted in the court' s verdict, the man was released from serving the sentence imposed by the court with a probationary period of one and a half years.

The convict's guilt was that in early 2026, he illegally occupied two hundred square meters of land in the coastal protection zone along the Kagach River, on the northwestern outskirts of the city of Tatarbunary, setting up a summer camp for cattle, which is prohibited by the Water Code of Ukraine.

At the court hearing, without disputing the factual circumstances of the criminal offense, the accused explained that he pleaded guilty to the charged act and indicated that he had voluntarily compensated for the damage caused.

The court recognized the defendant's sincere repentance, active assistance in solving the criminal offense and voluntary elimination of the damage caused as mitigating circumstances.

This is not the first such sentence for setting up koshes in protected areas. In March, the Tatarbunary District Court of Odesa Oblast found a resident of the village of Diviziya guilty of unauthorized occupation of a land plot in a protected zone and sentenced him to two years in prison, with one year of probation. On July 1, 2025, the convict illegally occupied a 0.6-hectare plot of land located within the water protection zone and coastal protection strip of the Khadjider River on the southwestern outskirts of the village of Diviziya without permission. This territory has the status of a water protection and protection zone. On the illegally occupied land, the man installed a fence and set up a summer camp for grazing, which is prohibited by the requirements of land and water legislation.

Кирило Бойко