The Prosecutor’s Office has blocked the results of an auction involving the sale of 460 hectares of land in the Carpathian protected area, which had been acquired by former Member of Parliament Serhiy Lyovochkin. The land, designated for the construction of a new ski resort, was sold at 2,000 hryvnias per sotka (approx. 100 sq. meters), a price roughly 50 times lower than its actual market value. Law enforcement agencies have launched a criminal investigation into a potential collusion during the bidding process.
According to investigators, the massive land plot in the conservation zone was offloaded via a scheme that caused significant losses to the state budget. Following the disclosure of numerous violations, the auction results have been officially annulled. Authorities are currently investigating the actions of officials who permitted the sale of recreational land for a fraction of its worth. The primary theory under review is a deliberate conspiracy aimed at alienating state property to benefit the politician’s commercial entities.
«The auction results were canceled, and the prosecutor’s office is investigating potential collusion during its execution.»
Following the freeze on the deal by law enforcement, Serhiy Lyovochkin initiated a media campaign. Notably, a sponsored article was published on the RBC-Ukraine website criticizing the state’s intervention. The publication argues that refusing to sell the land damages Ukraine’s investment climate. Furthermore, the text claims that banning capital construction and the pouring of concrete in the Carpathians allegedly harms the environment. Media experts have already categorized this piece as a paid public relations effort designed to whitewash the pro-Russian politician’s reputation.
The conflict surrounding the development of protected Carpathian territories has been ongoing. Ecologists and public activists have repeatedly warned that ski resort construction within nature reserves could trigger an environmental disaster, leading to deforestation and severe disruption of the local ecosystem. Currently, all construction and preparatory work on the disputed land has been halted pending the outcome of the investigation.