Prosecutors in Zakarpattia have announced suspicion to a factory director regarding illegal mining at a unique zeolite deposit, causing 11 million hryvnias in damages. This was reported by UNN with reference to the Office of the Prosecutor General.
Details
As the investigation established, from 2022 to 2025, the 56-year-old plant manager organized the extraction of zeolite beyond the scope of the special permit.
The work was carried out at the only zeolite deposit in Ukraine, one of the largest in Europe. Zeolite is used as an ecological sorbent, in agriculture, construction, and for water purification.
The investigation found that the illegal mining covered more than 3 hectares of the deposit's territory. Approximately 8,890 tons of the mineral were illegally extracted, causing over 11 million hryvnias in damages to the state. Third-party contractors were involved in the illegal work, carrying out drilling and blasting operations.
The detained director is charged with illegal extraction of minerals of national importance, committed by an official and with the use of explosives (Part 4, Article 240 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The sanction of the article provides for imprisonment from two to eight years.
The court chose a preventive measure for the defendant, the Office of the Prosecutor General reported.
Recall
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has begun checking 29 licenses for strategic minerals and 10 for oil and gas subsoil, where extraction has not started or work programs have been violated.