The term "ecocide" entered the lexicon of Ukrainians after the Kakhovka HPP was blown up. But environmental crimes can also occur without explosions — when the state allows private companies to destroy the environment for years under official cover.
This is written by political scientist Andriy Miselyuk, referring to the words of a representative of the Poltava environmental community, who calls "Hlobyne Meat Processing Plant" a symbol of local ecocide.
It is about a pig complex near the Psel River, which is allowed to keep more than 11,000 heads. In 2023, a massive fish kill and pollution for more than 30 km downstream were recorded here. In the same period — another proceeding due to the pollution of the Sukhy Omelnyk River, already from the side of the "Hlobyne" company's oil refinery.
Despite the loud resonance and community complaints, in December 2024, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine issued a positive EIA (environmental impact assessment) conclusion for one of the "Hlobyne" facilities. According to publications, the conclusion was signed by the director of the EIA department Maryna Shymkus and at that time Deputy Minister Olena Kramarenko — and issued after the facility was launched, effectively legalizing activities with questionable consequences.
"This is not the first and not the only permit. Many conclusions for "Hlobyne" enterprises have the same signatures. That is, the same people consistently do not see either the film on the water, or the smell, or the community protests," Miselyuk quotes the environmentalist from Poltava.
According to the speaker, the situation with river pollution does not improve in the summer of 2025 either — fish deaths are recorded, water in wells is unfit for consumption, and there is no official reaction from the ministry.
"What guided Ms. Kramarenko and Ms. Shymkus when they issued these permits? Was an audit conducted? Did anyone even check how this facility works after the scandals?" — the author of the blog asks.
In parallel, "Hlobyne" is involved in another high-profile proceeding — the SBU is investigating its purchase of products from the Russian Federation. Official confirmation of the case was published in May 2025.
Despite this, the company continues to be serviced by PUMB bank, which publicly declares a strict policy of checking clients for reputational, environmental, and legal risks.
"Just as the question remains unanswered why PUMB bank finances the "Hlobyne" company, despite its constant involvement in environmental scandals. After all, they declare correct compliance principles regarding checking clients for environmental, political, and legal risks," the environmentalist adds.
In addition, PUMB bank itself was fined by the National Bank for more than UAH 10 million in 2023 — for systemic violations in the field of financial monitoring, including weak control over risky clients and suspicious transactions.
Earlier, it was reported that the "Hlobyne" company had already been involved in the context of cooperation with business structures associated with sanctioned Russian oligarchs. As UNN wrote, among the key clients of the "PentoPak" enterprise, which belonged to oligarch Ivan Savvidi, the "Hlobyne" group of companies is specifically mentioned. In June 2024, the State Property Fund sold this asset from privatization, despite its scandalous origin.