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On the results with which the state forestry sector is concluding this year, and the changes awaiting SFE “Forests of Ukraine” in 2026, Oleksii Kucher, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the state-owned enterprise, told RBC-Ukraine.

Next year, the country’s largest state-owned enterprise, SFE “Forests of Ukraine,” is set to be transformed into a state-owned joint-stock company.

The transformation process began back in February, when the Cabinet of Ministers established an independent corporate governance body for the company — the Supervisory Board of SFE “Forests of Ukraine.”

The Supervisory Board includes three independent members from Canada, Finland, and Latvia — Markiyan Vytvytskyi, Janne Harjunpää, and Roberts Stripnieks — as well as a state representative, Oleksii Kucher, Head of the State Regulatory Service, who was subsequently elected Chairman of the Board.

We asked Mr. Kucher about the results with which SFE “Forests of Ukraine” is concluding the year and about the plans going forward.

— Mr. Kucher, at the most recent meeting the Supervisory Board approved the interim report on the achievement of the operational objectives of SFE “Forests of Ukraine,” as well as the report on the implementation of the financial plan based on the results of the first three quarters. In other words, are you satisfied with the company’s performance?

— We cannot but be satisfied with the financial indicators. The financial result has exceeded our expectations. The profit of SFE “Forests of Ukraine” may reach UAH 8 billion — more than double the figure recorded last year. Profitability has also increased by more than twofold, to nearly 30%.

Based on the results of the first 11 months, the enterprise has paid nearly UAH 15 billion to budgets at all levels. In my view, in terms of the growth rate of its financial and economic indicators, SFE “Forests of Ukraine” is among the leaders of the state sector of the economy.

— But is the reason behind this the increase in timber prices?

— To a large extent, yes. However, this is not an administrative increase in tariffs. All products, except for firewood for households and the social sector, are sold by SFE “Forests of Ukraine” exclusively through open, transparent, and competitive auctions.

The enterprise has not only adhered to this principle but has taken a further step toward openness by beginning to publish information on all contracts concluded on the exchange. Anyone can verify who contracted which products and at what price.

— Consumers, that is, businesses, are far from pleased with rising prices and are calling for an increase in timber supply.

— Let me remind you that for two years foresters have been urging changes to the legislation and regulatory framework that complicate permitting procedures, restrict harvesting, and lead to the loss of valuable resources. The Supervisory Board has also sought to draw the attention of the authorities to this existing problem. Finally, over the past six months, the necessary decisions have begun to be adopted.

We see that the Government and the Ministry of Economy are paying significant attention to the development of the forestry sector and to ensuring the operation of the wood-processing industry. Incidentally, we invited Minister Oleksii Soboliev to take part in a meeting of the Supervisory Board. This is something that has never happened before.

However, it must be understood that it is impossible to increase harvesting simultaneously, as any deployment of logging crews to a felling site is preceded by a lengthy bureaucratic permitting procedure. In addition, more than 2 million hectares of forests in Ukraine are objectively inaccessible for economic activity — due to temporary occupation, landmines, their location in areas where military units are deployed, and similar factors.

— Be that as it may, foresters now have more funds — how is their use being monitored?

— Let me clarify: first and foremost, it is the state that has benefited from the increase in timber prices. More than half of the proceeds from its sale are directed, in the form of taxes and fees, to budgets at all levels. At the same time, the forestry sector itself has also received additional financial resources.

Within the scope of its mandate, the Supervisory Board is making every effort to ensure oversight of how these funds are used. In particular, we have introduced the following control mechanism: the management of SFE “Forests of Ukraine” must, on a monthly basis and no later than the 10th day of each month, submit to the Supervisory Board information on expenditure contracts with a value exceeding UAH 1 million.

In addition, we receive data across all key areas — the implementation of the annual investment plan, the preparation of forest management documentation, the status of the registration of property rights, and data from the register of personnel-related orders. In other words, we maintain constant oversight and keep a close watch on developments.

Back in May, we approved the allocation of UAH 500 million to increase wages for production personnel — foresters, assistant foresters, forest rangers, drivers, tractor operators, and loggers.

The average salary at the enterprise rose from UAH 22,000 to UAH 29,000. This made it possible to halt staff outflows. At the same time, the Supervisory Board decided not to award quarterly bonuses to the Director General until the end of martial law. It is worth noting that this was the DG’s personal initiative, which the Supervisory Board supported.

The Supervisory Board seeks not only to analyse the information provided to it, but also considers it essential to have its own independent instruments for collecting and systematising such information.

For this reason, the Supervisory Board has decided to establish an Internal Control Service (ICS), comprising the internal audit, compliance (oversight of compliance with laws, regulations, and internal policies), and risk management units. The ICS staff is appointed by and reports directly to the Supervisory Board. These are our “eyes,” which, I hope, will allow us to objectively assess all processes within the enterprise. A new Head of Internal Audit has already been appointed.

— In one of your interviews, you mentioned that the Supervisory Board had put forward an initiative to conduct an independent external audit. What is the status of that initiative?

— The tenders have been completed and the contractors selected. LLC “Crowe Erfolg Ukraine” will conduct the audit of the financial statements for 2025, while LLC “Grant Thornton Legis” will audit the period from 2022 to 2024. Grant Thornton Ukraine is part of the global Grant Thornton network, which is represented in more than 150 countries worldwide. The total revenue of the global network amounted to USD 8 billion in 2024. Crowe Erfolg Ukraine is a member of Crowe Global, the world’s ninth-largest international audit network. In Ukraine, both contractors rank among the top ten largest audit firms.

We also extended invitations to companies from the “Big Four” audit firms, but unfortunately they did not express an interest in participating in the tender.

— Procurement is a particularly sensitive issue for the state sector. What is the situation now?

— There has been undeniable progress: 97% of the procurement budget is allocated through open, competitive tenders — a level never before achieved in the state forestry sector. Savings from procurement since the beginning of the year have exceeded UAH 700 million. For the first time, logging services — the enterprise’s largest procurement item by volume — are being put out to open Prozorro tenders in full (100%).

Nevertheless, trust but verify. The Supervisory Board has approached the State Audit Service of Ukraine with an initiative to conduct an audit of the public procurement of SFE “Forests of Ukraine” for 2025, focusing on compliance with legal requirements, the justification of expected contract values, the lawfulness of the procedures selected, and the efficiency of the use of funds.

In addition, the Supervisory Board has applied to the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine with a request to conduct a review of public procurement procedures for any indications of violations of competition legislation.

— How did the story of the procurement of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system end?

— The ERP procurement process has not yet been concluded. The concept for introducing the system was developed prior to the establishment of the Supervisory Board, and the Board members now have a different vision. One of them — Markiyan Vytvytskyi — has experience in implementing ERP systems in Canada.

In our view, it is impossible to foresee everything in advance; it is more appropriate to move step by step, consistently implementing the most important modules of the management system. Next year, the ERP procurement process will be reset and relaunched. We keep this issue constantly in focus.

— Judging by the so-called “Mindichgate,” recruitment for state-owned companies is not always conducted in a transparent manner. What should be done about this?

— The only solution is an independent and objective assessment. At the initiative of Markiyan Vytvytskyi, it is planned to conduct an independent comprehensive evaluation of the company’s top management in terms of their professional competence, effectiveness, and business ethics, as is standard practice worldwide. An HR company with the appropriate expertise is to be selected through a competitive process.

In other words, next year SFE “Forests of Ukraine” will be subject to six different audits — two independent external audits, a state audit, an internal audit, an HR audit, and a review by the Antimonopoly Committee. Based on the results, we will certainly draw the necessary conclusions.

In addition, the Supervisory Board has approved the Company’s Anti-Corruption Policy and Code of Business Ethics, which were developed jointly with the Basel Institute on Governance in line with best international practices.

— Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko recently stated that supervisory boards must ensure proper and prompt responses to notifications from law enforcement agencies regarding offences involving officials. How can this be implemented in practice?

— As early as this summer, we took the initiative and approached all key law enforcement agencies — the Office of the Prosecutor General, the State Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Economic Security, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, and the National Police — with a request to provide information on criminal proceedings involving the management of our enterprise. For a timely response and the adoption of objective decisions, the Supervisory Board requires verified facts. In other words, we have already employed all control instruments available to us.

— You are a very active Supervisory Board…

— That is indeed the case, without exaggeration. Over the course of this year, ten Board meetings have already been held, with one additional extraordinary meeting planned before year-end. More than thirty working meetings and briefings have also taken place. Three committees have been established, which have held nine meetings in total. All Board members are participating as actively as possible in discussing and resolving issues. We have established a corporate secretary’s office, as it is physically impossible for one person to cope with the volume of tasks we set.

— But your level of activity presumably does not appeal to everyone. Publications have appeared on Telegram channels regarding a criminal proceeding related to the payment of remuneration to members of the Supervisory Board…

— The circumstances surrounding the opening of the proceedings are unknown to me, but initiating such a case at the request of a public organization is not particularly difficult. As for the media campaign against the Supervisory Board, the list of information resources involved makes it clear that the campaign is fully paid for. The Board members understand that this is an attempt to exert pressure and perceive it in an entirely appropriate manner. Such campaigns will have no impact on either our position or our work.

In fact, all payments to members of the Supervisory Board are made transparently and in strict compliance with the law. Each member of the Supervisory Board of SFE “Forests of Ukraine” has entered into a civil law contract approved by an order of the State Forest Resources Agency.

The amount of remuneration is determined on the basis of the Policy on Remuneration of Supervisory Board Members approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (Resolution No.1369 dated 29 November 2024).

In addition, the enterprise reimburses members of the Supervisory Board for expenses incurred in the performance of their duties, subject to documentary confirmation. For example, this includes travel expenses from the place of residence to the venue of a Supervisory Board meeting.

— What are your expectations regarding corporatization?

— “Forests of Ukraine” is an enterprise of European standard, and in the longer term, of global standing. Corporatization is a path toward recognition by international partners. It also creates opportunities to attract international financing for the company’s development, as the current organizational and legal model of a state-owned enterprise is not fully understood in the Western world.

In Ukraine, corporatization makes it possible to channel proceeds from the sale of non-core assets into development. And, of course, corporatization means corporate governance. In my view, all the best corporate governance tools are already being applied.

— What changes can be expected in the forestry sector?

— We have recently approved the Strategic Development Plan of SFE “Forests of Ukraine” for 2025–2029. The main focus is on balancing economic performance and environmental considerations, as well as on the development of close-to-nature forestry. We plan to increase harvesting within the limits established by law, with a gradual reduction in the share of clear-cutting and an improvement in forest quality through the formation of natural forest stands that are more resilient to fires and climate change.

Supervisory Board member Roberts Stripnieks headed “Latvian State Forests” for more than twenty years, has extensive experience, and I am very grateful to him for his active involvement in the development of the strategy.

One of the most pressing challenges remains the issue of forest demining. Conventional technologies would require multibillion investments and decades of work, making innovative solutions essential. In this area, Supervisory Board member Janne Harjunpää is working actively. Consultations are under way with Ukrainian institutions responsible for demining, as well as with international manufacturers of specialized equipment.

– You once said that with the establishment of the Supervisory Board, the enterprise becomes more institutionally autonomous. Have “Forests of Ukraine” indeed gained institutional autonomy with the establishment of the Supervisory Board?

— This year, “Forests of Ukraine” went through a several-month period of turbulence. The position of the Supervisory Board ensured stability in the company’s operations: during this time, there was no loss of managerial control or external interference in personnel or production processes. This is precisely what I mean by gaining institutional autonomy.

On 4 December 2025, a meeting took place between representatives of SFE “Forests of Ukraine” and a delegation of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Group — the French Development Agency, a public financial institution of France that supports reforms, infrastructure projects and sustainable development in more than a hundred countries worldwide.

During the discussion, the parties outlined priority areas for potential cooperation. Representatives of SFE “Forests of Ukraine” presented the enterprise’s key areas of activity that may serve as a basis for potential investment and technical support from AFD.

The AFD delegation presented the Group’s approaches to project financing and technical assistance, including grant instruments,  loans, and expert support.

The AFD representatives also emphasized their interest in assessing the enterprise’s potential and exploring opportunities for further cooperation within the mandate granted to the AFD Group by France in 2024 to support Ukraine.

The parties agreed to continue exchanging information and further elaborating on areas that may form the basis for future joint projects.

This year, SFE “Forests of Ukraine” has conducted tenders for the procurement of goods and services totaling more than UAH 10 billion.

Top 3 largest categories:

1.Logging and related services;

2.Fuel;

3.Vehicles, machinery, spare parts and related services.

97% of the procurement budget has been channeled through tenders on Prozorro.

This is the highest indicator not only since the establishment of the enterprise, but in general in the entire history of the Ukrainian state forestry sector.

The most revolutionary changes have taken place in the procurement of logging services (let us recall that contractors harvest approximately 80% of the timber, while 20% is harvested by the enterprise’s own crews).

Before the reform, state forestry enterprises concluded direct contracts for harvesting without conducting a competitive procedure.

At present, 100% of logging services are procured via Prozorro.

Since the beginning of the year, more than 2,000 tenders have already been announced, and over 1,500 procurement procedures totaling UAH 2.7 billion have been successfully completed.

The times when some forestry enterprises purchased fuel at prices higher than its retail cost at the nearest filling station are also a thing of the past. Fuel procurement has been centralized and demonopolized: there are several suppliers selected through tender procedures. The enterprise saves up to UAH 12 on each liter of fuel.

In total, the amount of funds saved on procurement since the beginning of the year has reached UAH 700 million.

In the process of preparing tenders, the Procurement Department of SFE “Forests of Ukraine” discusses with businesses, distributors and manufacturers the key requirements for the subject of procurement, delivery terms, etc. As a result, the company’s tender conditions are adapted to market realities, which makes it possible to attract the widest possible range of participants to the bidding process.

The possibilities of granting preferences or creating “barriers” have been minimized. For example, the payment term under the contracts of SFE “Forests of Ukraine” is 10 calendar days, and we strictly adhere to it regardless of the supplier’s name.

The webinar organized by FSC Ukraine was attended by more than 100 participants, including representatives of FSC-certified forestry and wood-processing enterprises, non-governmental organizations, state authorities, certification bodies, and scientific and educational institutions.

During the webinar, representatives of FSC Ukraine informed the participants about the expected update to the FSC certification regulatory framework and about new FSC instruments in the context of Ukraine’s EU integration.

The key speakers were Oksana Pavlishchuk, Associate Professor at the Educational and Research Institute of Forestry and Landscape-Park Management of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine and FSC Ukraine consultant; Yevhenii Khan, FSC Ukraine Manager; and Pavlo Kravets, FSC National Representative in Ukraine.

What is important for the certified Forestry Management Units  (nadlisnytstva) of SFE “Forests of Ukraine”?

The process of revising the FSC principles, criteria and indicators, as well as other related elements of the normative framework for FSC certification

Each country has its own specific natural conditions and forest management system. To take this specificity into account, FSC standards are developed at the national level, based on international benchmarks – the principles, criteria and indicators.

However, the process of their development must be harmonized, clear, open and transparent for all stakeholders. Therefore, the foundational documents in the FSC certification system are periodically revised. The current stage of the revision process will run until 1 January 2027.

The FSC International General Assembly has defined three key orientations for the revision of the principles, criteria and indicators: streamlining and simplification, user orientation, result orientation.

What does this mean?

✔️ FSC-certified forest managers will be encouraged to carry out forest regeneration through close-to-nature forestry practices.

✔️ The indicators will become clear, verifiable requirements for compliance with the FSC principles, which can be checked at intermediate stages.

FSC risk assessment for Ukraine as an updated element of the normative framework for FSC certification in the context of EUDR requirements

As of 30 December 2025, the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) will enter into force. It has been introduced to prevent raw materials that contribute to global deforestation from being placed on the EU market. Companies must demonstrate that their supply chains are not linked to illegal logging or forest degradation.

In this context, an updated risk assessment has been developed for Ukrainian FSC certificate holders – an analytical document that presents the results of assessing timber from unacceptable sources in Ukraine and recommends measures to mitigate the identified risks.

The FSC risk assessment document is based on indicators aligned with the EUDR. It contains the results of the risk assessment with differentiation of risk levels, takes into account various types of timber sources, defines measures to mitigate risks, and provides guidance on the information sources used as the basis for the risk evaluation.

It may be applied in practice not only by FSC certificate holders but also by public authorities, independent experts, certification bodies, local communities, non-governmental organizations and business sector representatives.

The planting of the symbolic “one-billionth tree” took place on the grounds of the Central Military Hospital in Kyiv. The event was joined by representatives of the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, the State Forest Resources Agency of Ukraine, the Union of Forestry Warriors of Ukraine, scholars from the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine (NUBiP), service members and demobilised employees of SFE “Forests of Ukraine”, as well as pupils of the Vyshchedubechanske school forestry.

The “Green Country” programme was launched in June 2021. The decree initiating it was signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the “Ukraine 30. Ecology” forum.

“We are launching the ‘Green Country’ project. Let me say at once—this is not a political project but a purely environmental one, for nature and the environment. We have set ourselves an ambitious yet, I am sure, achievable goal: to increase the forest area by one million hectares over ten years. To this end, in the next three years we aim to plant one billion trees in Ukraine,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his address at the forum.

Over the course of the programme, more than 100,000 sites were afforested across Ukraine.

Foresters of SFE “Forests of Ukraine” established exclusively natural forests, combining species such as Scots pine, Crimean pine (Pallas’s pine), pedunculate oak, silver birch, ash, maple, beech, spruce, fir, larch, and others. The mix of coniferous and broadleaf species reduces wildfire risk and supports biodiversity.

As Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine Taras Vysotskyi noted, expanding forest area counteracts the adverse effects of climate change.

“Some planted one tree, others hundreds, but together we accomplished something important—we not only planted a billion trees, we also changed society’s attitude toward forest restoration and nature conservation as a whole,” said Yurii Bolokhovets, Director General of SFE “Forests of Ukraine.”

According to Yurii Bolokhovets, the symbolic one-billionth tree chosen was the oak—a symbol of the resilience and steadfastness of the Ukrainian people. It was planted by demobilised soldier-forester Oleksandr Kotseruba together with pupils of the Vyshchedubechanske school forestry.

Over the course of the “Green Country” programme, it was not only a billion trees that were planted. These years also saw a reform of the forestry sector: management was centralised; a transparent timber sales system was established; a record amount of taxes was paid into budgets at all levels; a digital chain of custody for timber movement was introduced; and efforts to combat illegal logging were significantly strengthened.

“Most importantly, despite the war we kept the forestry sector going. It has operated and developed throughout the years of armed aggression and supported our defenders: in total, over 12,000 railcars of timber were dispatched to meet frontline needs,” said Victor Smal, Head of the State Forest Resources Agency of Ukraine.

According to Yurii Bolokhovets, SFE “Forests of Ukraine” continues to work on the second part of the President’s programme—expanding the forest land area by 1 million hectares.

The event took place on the eve of the completion of the President’s program “Green Country”, aimed at planting one billion trees.

Students, scientists, and university leaders took part in the campaign, as well as academic teams from regional departments, Ms. Anica Djamić, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Croatia to Ukraine, and Ihor Lytsur, Executive Director of SFE “Forests of Ukraine.”

Participants planted trees in memory of those who gave their lives defending Ukraine.

To enrich the Botanical Garden’s collection, three species of pine trees were brought in, including the Balkan pine, which can live up to 1,000 years.

“The NULES Botanical Garden is a symbolic place. It was here, four years ago, that we launched the President’s ‘Green Country’ program together with the university. This autumn, ‘Forests of Ukraine’ will complete it, and in the coming days, the one-billionth tree will be planted,” said Ihor Lytsur, Executive Director of SFE ‘Forests of Ukraine’.

“The President’s ‘Green Country’ program is more relevant than ever, as the enemy has destroyed countless forests and green areas on Ukraine’s peaceful land. It is now up to Ukrainians to restore them,” noted Vadym Tkachuk, Rector of NULES.

In the regions, the initiative was supported by employees of the Berezhanske Forestry Management Unit of the Podilskyi Forest Office branch. Together with students and teachers of the Berezhany Vocational College, they planted young spruce and pine trees that will soon become part of a new green forest area.

At the “Slobozhanskyi Forest Office” branch, the results of the fire-hazard season are being summed up. This year has been a challenging one for the Kharkiv region. Despite constant threats caused by the proximity to the combat zone, the border with Russia, and the high level of mine contamination, forestry workers made great efforts to extinguish even the smallest fires as quickly as possible and to save the forests from destruction.

Thanks to the dedicated work of the foresters of the SFE “Forests of Ukraine”, this year the total area affected by fires in the region has been significantly reduced. Compared to last year, the burned area decreased 6.5 times! Since the beginning of the year, employees of the branch in the Kharkiv region have extinguished 305 fires covering 2,072 hectares. For comparison, last year the burned area in the region exceeded 13,350 hectares.

A significant portion of all fires in the Kharkiv region are the result of constant Russian shelling.

Due to the high level of mine contamination and, in most cases, the lack of access to forest areas, even the smallest fire can quickly spread over a large territory.

Currently, more than 170,000 hectares of forest in the Kharkiv region remain mined and inaccessible, including over 144,000 hectares in the Iziumske Forestry Management Unit . Since the beginning of this year, fires there have affected 1,819 hectares, which is more than seven times less compared to last year!

After the Iziumske Forestry Management Unit joined “Forests of Ukraine” in March of this year, the company provided the district with the necessary equipment: pickup trucks with fire-fighting modular units, new fire hoses, and backpack extinguishers. This equipment allows fire crews to respond quickly and extinguish fires in accessible and safe areas.

Firefighting in this zone remains a daily challenge and a tremendous danger. Almost every operation requires the involvement of sappers and close cooperation with pyrotechnic units.

Despite all the threats, the foresters continue to show heroic dedication every day, fighting fires under the difficult conditions of wartime to preserve the forests of the region.

In the Sumy region, as part of the President’s program “Green Country”, foresters from the Pivnichnyi Forest Office branch joined students from the Neskuchanske School Forestry to plant a young forest.

The students of this school forestry are active participants in the FOREST KIDS TikTok project — an initiative by the communications team of SFE “Forests of Ukraine.”

They film short videos right in the forest, showing what life in a school forestry looks like from the inside and how exciting it can be to explore nature.

Graduates Vanya and Pasha also came to help with the planting. Although they are now university students, they happily return to their school forestry to spend time in nature and share their experience with younger students — just as the foresters once did with them.

Myroslava and Katya recorded several TikTok videos on site to show their followers how amazing it feels to be in the forest and to create new forests with your own hands. Everyone that day planted their own tree.

While her friends were planting, Vlada, another school forestry member, enjoyed a cup of hot forest tea from a thermal mug she received from “Forests of Ukraine” for her participation in FOREST KIDS.

And yes — that’s part of the process too: to pause, look around, and truly feel that the forest is right beside you.

In the Vorotniv Botanical Reserve, located within the Kivertsivske Forestry Management Unit of the Polissia Forest Office branch, another event was held as part of the eco-rehabilitation program implemented by SFE “Forests of Ukraine.” This program brings together businesses, volunteer groups, and civic organizations around a shared idea of rehabilitation through nature.

This time, the guests of the reserve were participants from the “Source of Life” Center for the Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities, a public organization. The event was organized in support of the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska’s initiative on barrier-free accessibility, and thanks to a partnership with “Misto.cafe”, the first social-impact café in Lutsk.

The autumn day in the forest became a wonderful opportunity for communication, relaxation, and discovery.

Young people with disabilities and their parents visited the Forestry Youth Center, where director Valentyna Yukhymchuk led a tour and shared stories about the natural uniqueness of the reserve.

Participants also met Volodymyr Lev, a veteran and canine specialist of the National Guard of Ukraine, who introduced his therapy dogs that assist in psychological rehabilitation.

Another fascinating part of the program was a meeting with Ihor Burenko, a war veteran and Acting Director of the Volyn Regional Center for National Resistance Training. He spoke about the basics of drone operation, elements of military gear, and even allowed participants to try on a bulletproof vest.

Such events demonstrate how forest recreation areas can serve not only as spaces for leisure, but also as places for rehabilitation, integration, and education.

The event was made even warmer thanks to the support of “Tsukor” café, a successful example of a veteran-owned business, which treated participants to hot herbal tea and sweet treats.

In European forestry companies, digital instruments are used to precisely record the coordinates of harvest sites scheduled for harvesting. The key difference from analogue devices is the rapid, highly accurate delineation of work boundaries (to within a few centimetres) for harvest-site layout and timber-cruising crews.

In particular, a GNSS receiver picks up signals from multiple satellites. Based on these signals, it calculates the coordinates of the point where the receiver is located. The more satellites the receiver “sees” and the better the signal quality, the higher the accuracy.

At present, SFE “Forests of Ukraine” forestry management units have around 90 GNSS receivers, which does not fully cover the needs of the field crews responsible for harvest-site layout.

In some forestry management units, obsolete instruments – bussoles (survey compasses) – are still used when designating sites for felling. All data are recorded by hand on paper, which in turn introduces additional risks when measuring the site.

Therefore, last week SFE “Forests of Ukraine” announced two tenders to procure 134 GNSS receivers. This is the first centralised purchase of such devices.

The GNSS receivers will be adapted to operate in challenging field conditions. They run on the Trimble platform, providing accuracy of up to 2 cm and not requiring ground base stations for differential corrections. These receivers are being procured for the Karpatskyi, Pivnichnyi, Podilskyi, Poliskyi, and Tsentralnyi Forest Offices.

41 GNSS receivers are being procured for the Pivdennyi, Slobozhanskyi, Skhidnyi, and Stolychnyi Forest Offices. They will use a network of ground base stations that provide differential corrections to the satellite data.

What additional advantages do GNSS receivers provide?

Automated record-keeping. All data appear immediately in digital form and can be uploaded right away.

Convenient visualization. The site can be viewed on screen instantly, with support for online maps. The operator can define the survey boundaries.

Eliminating human error. Most measurements and coordinate capture are performed automatically rather than manually.

All data will be synchronised with internal record-keeping systems. The new equipment will ensure greater process transparency, enhance control, and save staff time.