A lake in the Odesa region has disappeared because of a dam built by hunters

In the Lower Dniester National Nature Park, the destruction of Lake Vasilky was documented after a hunting club built an illegal dam and a network of canals. The preliminary damage is estimated at over 10 billion hryvnias.

This was reported by the director of the Lower Dniester National Nature Park.

In June 2026, park staff surveyed the island area between the Dniester River, the Hlybokyi Turunchuk Channel, and the Dniester Estuary. There, they documented an earthen dam that completely blocked the natural water exchange between Lake Vasilky and the river, as well as a network of artificial canals nearly 10 kilometers long.

The consequences include stagnant water, fish mortality, and the destruction of riparian habitats. Populations of black alder, which are protected under the Bern Convention, were affected, and the population of the floating fern Salvinia natans—a species listed in Ukraine’s Red and Green Books—has disappeared.

Nearby, scientists found a nesting colony of great cormorants (about 2,800 nests) and the rare pink pelican —the birds were found right next to a drawbridge and a barrier, which the land user had used to block access to the territory, even from the park’s own security personnel.

According to preliminary estimates, the damage caused by the destruction of the hydraulic system could exceed 10 billion hryvnias. A separate calculation for the neighboring canals and dams amounts to over 5.4 billion hryvnias. A criminal investigation has been opened into the construction.

According to the park’s records, the dam and canals were built by the public organization “21st Century Hunters and Fishermen Society.” In 2001, the Odesa Regional Council granted the organization the right to use 3,000 hectares of hunting grounds in this part of the delta.

During an inspection on June 25, 2026, the organization’s director did not deny that it was the organization that built the dam and canals. At the same time, he stated that the work was carried out according to a project developed in 2005.

The park’s documents note that this project was issued to another legal entity with a nearly identical name. Furthermore, the document itself did not provide for the construction of a dam. On the contrary, its purpose was to improve natural water exchange in the island area.

The park also cites court rulings concerning this organization’s activities in the Dniester Delta. Specifically, in 2024, a court invalidated a contract regarding recreational activities and ordered the demolition of illegal structures. In another ruling, the court established that unauthorized construction had taken place on lands belonging to the nature reserve fund.

In 2025–2026, the trial court also granted a claim for the demolition of approximately 160 unauthorized structures. The appellate court overturned this decision, and the park is challenging it in cassation.

The Lower Dniester National Park has appealed to the Odesa Regional Council for the second time, demanding that the organization’s right to use the land be revoked. The regional council rejected the first appeal, filed in March 2026.

The park has sent appeals to the State Agency for Forest Resources of Ukraine, the State Environmental Inspection of Ukraine, the Ministry of Economy and Environment, and the relevant member of parliament.

The Dniester Delta is designated as a protected area. It is part of the European Emerald Network and is listed as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

Ірина Глухова