Ukraine reveals cultivation of grain crops on radioactive land for sale

A scheme for the illegal use of land contaminated by the Chornobyl accident has been exposed in Zhytomyr region. This was reported by Office of the Prosecutor General and National Police.

The investigation found that in 2021, the village head illegally transferred more than 3,000 hectares of state-owned land to a land surveyor and directors of four farms for use.

In order to legalize his actions, the official entered into preliminary land lease agreements, with the simultaneous signing of acceptance certificates.

According to the conclusions of forensic examinations, these land plots belong to the zone of unconditional (mandatory) resettlement of the territory that was contaminated by radioactive contamination as a result of the Chornobyl disaster.

According to the National Police, the land was used to grow wheat, sunflower, corn, buckwheat, sugar beets, and rapeseed.

It is noted that grain crops were sold throughout Ukraine, including to bakeries, without mandatory dosimetric monitoring. Experts estimated the damage caused to the state in 2021 at more than UAH 4.9 million.

In addition, the director of one of the companies created an organized group, in which he involved the head of another company and a member of one of the village councils.

The Prosecutor General's Office notes that they grew 364.77 tons of sunflower worth more than UAH 6.6 million on the illegally occupied plots, which they also illegally sold on the domestic market.

The village head of one of the united territorial communities of the region, the land surveyor of the village council and three directors of private enterprises were served with notices of suspicion of unauthorized occupation of land plots and abuse of office (part 2 of Article 28, part 1 of Article 197-1, part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

Also, the directors of two companies and a former deputy of the village council were served with a notice of suspicion on violation of radiation safety requirements, seizure of property and legalization of property obtained by criminal means (part 5 of Article 191, part 3 of Article 209, part 3 of Article 28, part 4 of Article 267-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The issue of choosing a preventive measure against the suspects and seizing their property to ensure further compensation for the damage caused to the state is currently being decided.

• On June 26, it became known that international partners – France, the United Kingdom and the European Commission – announced the allocation of 42.5 million euros for restoration of the New Safe Confinement (NSC arch) at the Chernobyl NPP.