Law enforcement authorities in Western Ukraine have uncovered a massive illegal mining scheme near Uzhhorod that resulted in over 949.8 million UAH (approx. $23 million) in damages to the state. The company involved held an official permit strictly for geological survey work, but instead launched full-scale commercial extraction of decorative and construction stone. Four key suspects have been officially charged, including a Transcarpathian Regional Council deputy, the enterprise’s director, and the chief engineer.
To enable industrial-scale operations at the Kamiannytske-2 deposit, the perpetrators destroyed approximately 10 hectares of local forest and installed 2.6 kilometers of power lines without required environmental permits. The operation bypassed standard Environmental Impact Assessments, executing at least 13 major blasting operations to extract over 417,000 cubic meters of high-density rock.
While the company officially recorded sales of 774,000 tons of material, law enforcement discovered an additional 353,000 tons of unrecorded and off-the-books andesite valued at roughly 247 million UAH. Investigators believe this surplus was systematically sold on the black market for untraceable cash payments.
The permit for the mineral deposit was secured by «KobaltumResursEksport» LLC. The firm was originally registered with a minimal share capital of just 1,000 UAH, which abruptly surged to 80 million UAH shortly before the state licensing auction.
By 2025, Mykhailo Laba was entered into the official registry as a co-owner of the company. Investigators are currently clarifying whether this refers to the current Ukrainian Member of Parliament or his son, who serves as a regional council representative. Pre-trial investigations and detailed environmental impact assessments remain ongoing as authorities work to establish the full network of accomplices.