Storing Firewood Without Documents – Fine or Prison. How Ukrainians React to the New Bill.

Ukrainians can be fined tens of thousands of hryvnias and sentenced to up to seven years in prison for storing firewood without documents. Such a bill was passed by the Verkhovna Rada and sent to the president for signing.

Bill 9665 aims to prevent illegal logging and sale of timber in Ukraine. It provides for increased liability for storage, transport, or sale of firewood without documents proving their origin. The bill also proposes to fine citizens even for small amounts of wood if they do not have documents confirming the origin.

Violators face a fine of 34 thousand UAH for storing firewood if their value is estimated up to 30 thousand UAH, as well as 5 to 7 years of imprisonment if the value of the wood exceeds 30 thousand UAH.

The law also provides for fines for haymaking and grazing cattle, harvesting reeds, unauthorized picking of wild fruits, nuts, mushrooms, berries in areas where it is prohibited or allowed only by forest tickets.

The bill has 26 initiators, including MPs from the Servant of the People party Danilo Hetmantsev, Marina Mezentseva-Fedorenko, and Yuriy Kamelchuk. Lawyer Oleksiy Kinebas expressed hope that the president would veto this bill.

An increase in liability for logging and illegal storage of firewood may have negative consequences for villagers, for whom firewood remains the main type of fuel in winter. The bill caused a lot of noise among Ukrainians living in villages and towns. Currently, the president has not yet signed the bill.

Recall, on October 10, the Verkhovna Rada adopted bill No. 9665, which increased the fine for unauthorized collection of fruits, nuts, mushrooms, and berries.