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Since the beginning of the fire‑hazard period, over 500 forest fires have ignited within the enterprise’s forest estate, affecting 2,100 ha. The average size of a single fire was 3.9 ha.
Where did forest fires most frequently occur?
The greatest number of ignitions occurred in the frontline Iziumske Forestry Management Unit in Kharkiv region, with a total area burned exceeding 1,200 ha. This is equivalent to half of all forest fires recorded across Ukraine.
In the first half of last year, the fire‑affected area in the Kharkiv region reached 9,000 ha. This year, taking into account the region’s specific challenges, the situation was kept under control. To the newly integrated Iziumske forestry enterprises, the company provided six pickups fitted with firefighting modules and procured over 1,000 items of firefighting equipment. Demining operations were conducted over nearly 170 ha, enabling the establishment of an additional 200 km of mineralized firebreaks within the Iziumske Forestry Management Unit. However, more than 143,000 ha of that unit remains mined.
An abnormally warm, snow‑scarce winter, followed by a dry start to spring in the Carpathian region, has seen fires burn over 120 ha in the mountains, including 76.4 ha in Zakarpattia. This year, the enterprise procured 10 fire‑fighting modules for the forestry management subunits of the Branch “Karpatskyi Forest Office,” enabling the suppression of ground‑level fires in hard‑to‑access areas.
Persistent enemy air attacks on Kyiv have increased the number of fires in the Branch “Stolychnyi Forest Office”, which were promptly extinguished. Over the past six months, 114 fires ignited, affecting 216 ha. The average size of a single fire in the Kyiv region was 0.8 ha. To prevent rapid fire spread following enemy strikes, over 5,300 km of mineralized firebreaks have been constructed and nearly 20,000 km of existing ones renewed—10 percent more than planned.
In other regions, there were only isolated fire incidents. Although the situation is under control, SFE “Forests of Ukraine” is undertaking all necessary preparations for forest fire protection:
Infrastructure upgrades: 29,000 km of mineralized firebreaks have been constructed, and maintenance has been carried out on 112,400 of existing ones. Installation works are now beginning for 30 new television‐based fire‐monitoring systems and 24 new observation towers.
Reducing human‑caused fire risk: In the first half of 2025, over 4,500 patrols were conducted, resulting in nearly 200 violations detected and fines imposed. The number of patrols is adjusted according to weather conditions and fire‑danger class.
Training personnel: 775 State Forest Protection officers completed the “Forest Firefighting Leader” course, and 966 completed the “Forest Firefighter Training” course.
We conduct outreach with the local population: over 4,400 lectures have been delivered on adhering to fire‑safety regulations in the forest.
We procure equipment: 25 new fire‑fighting modules have been dispatched to forestries of the Branch “Skhidnyi Forest Office,” Branch “Pivdennyi Forest Office,” Branch “Karpatskyi Forest Office,” and Branch “Tsentralnyi Forest Office.” This year’s investment plan provides for the purchase of 211 motorcycles for patrolling remote forest areas.
We equip recreation points: the plan for this year calls for the construction of 50 new “Lisovychok” forest rest sites, some of which are already under construction.
During the meeting, Oleksii Kucher commended the growth in the enterprise’s financial and economic indicators for the first half of 2025 and emphasized the importance of maintaining this positive momentum.
According to the Chair of the Supervisory Board, the priority areas of SFE “Forests of Ukraine” remain: forest fire protection, supplying the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the social sector, fulfillment of wood‐supply contracts with enterprises in the wood‐processing industry.
As of mid‑July, SFE “Forests of Ukraine” is supplying the Armed Forces of Ukraine with over 1,000 m³ of timber daily, free of charge. The volume of these military deliveries continues to grow each day.
The execution of exchange‑traded forward contracts for the second half of the year and of third‑quarter agreements fully meets the planned targets. The total daily volume of timber harvesting and dispatch currently amounts to 45,000–50,000 m³.
The enterprise is preparing to hold its fourth‑quarter auctions, which begin on 12 August.
An ample supply of fuel firewood is available to the public at social prices.
The fire situation is fully under control: over the past week, across all management units of SFE “Forests of Ukraine,” except in Kharkiv region, only a few ignition points were recorded, totaling approximately 20 ha, which is a minimal figure for this time of year. In Kharkiv region, Iziumske Forestry Management Unit is the most problematic. This unit is located virtually on the front line, and its territories are largely mined, which, despite the availability of equipment and trained personnel, makes firefighting operations significantly more difficult.
This week, law enforcement authorities served a notice of suspicion to the Director General of SE “Forests of Ukraine”.
The Director General, Yurii Bolokhovets, denies the suspicion. Mr Bolokhovets’s lawyers are preparing an appeal against the decision of the Pecherskyi Court on the imposition of a preventive measure.
According to the statements of law enforcement authorities, the suspicion does not relate to Yurii Bolokhovets’s activities as Director General of SE “Forests of Ukraine”.
Nevertheless, the Supervisory Board of SE “Forests of Ukraine” is interested in ensuring the most objective consideration of this case and will closely monitor the developments.
The Supervisory Board also emphasises that the events of this week must not affect the operations of SE “Forests of Ukraine”.
Within the scope of its powers, the Supervisory Board stands ready to ensure the Enterprise’s governance and stable financial and business operations, as well as strict control over the use of funds and compliance with the law.
– Compared to the first half of 2024, revenue from product sales increased from UAH 11.1 billion to UAH 13.2 billion excluding VAT (+19%).
– Projected profit (before tax) increased from UAH 1.8 billion to UAH 3.5 billion (+91%), and profitability rose from 16% to 27%.
– The amount of taxes paid increased from UAH 4.2 billion to UAH 5.9 billion (+40%).
The results are driven by systematic efforts to improve management efficiency.
Thanks to new control tools and de-shadowing efforts, the share of illegal timber has been minimized this year. This has led to increased demand for legal products sold through open exchange auctions.
The enterprise carried out a restructuring of its organizational structure: excess administrative staff was reduced.
Unprofitable processing facilities were shut down, and loss-making assets are being sold through the State Property Fund.
Savings on procurement exceeded UAH 237 million!!
The growth potential is not exhausted. The enterprise continues to work on cost optimization and increasing production efficiency.
In the village of Krasna, Tyachiv district, at the Krasniaanske Forestry Management Subunit of the Brusturianske Management Unit, branch “Karpatskyi Forest Office”, an 18‑metre bridge over the Krasnoshurka River was destroyed at the end of 2023. Floodwaters undermined the concrete river‑bank abutment, and the steel span supporting the wooden deck collapsed into the river.
This caused serious problems for the local population and complicated the work of the foresters.
For several years, local residents living on the opposite bank or owning agricultural land had to wade across the river or drive through a nearby shallow crossing.
Staff of the Krasniaanske Forestry Management Subunit were unable to fully conduct forest‑management activities on nearly 90 percent of their territory. Contracting organizations began refusing to provide services because they could not deliver fuel or their personnel to the logging sites—there was simply no alternative route.
As a result, timber harvesting in the Krasniaanske Forestry Management Subunit fell sharply. In 2023, the volume exceeded 6,500 m³ for the year. In the first half of this year, only 938 m³ were harvested.
The price of timber from the forestry management subunit has increased. The cost of firewood for non‑industrial use rose from UAH 850 to UAH 1,086 per m³. This hike was driven by the longer delivery distance from other forestry management subunits, which raised fuel expenses. Accordingly, the cost of transporting firewood from storage to the customer’s yard also went up—from UAH 3,000 to UAH 5,000.
In the event of a large forest fire, neither the foresters nor the State Emergency Service units would be able to extinguish it, as no heavy equipment could cross the river and the ditch. This could have catastrophic consequences.
Immediately after the bridge collapse, branch “Karpatskyi Forest Office” set up a commission to inspect the site. Based on its findings, a reconstruction design was produced. An external expert organization then assessed the cost of restoration.
At the beginning of this year, SFE “Forests of Ukraine” launched a tender for these services through Prozorro. The winning bidder offered the lowest price—UAH 7.7 million, yielding savings of nearly UAH 500,000. For over a month, the contractor has been carrying out the restoration work.
The new bridge will feature a robust design: a strong, reinforced monolithic concrete slab will ensure its longevity. A drainage system has been incorporated to prevent rainwater from accumulating or damaging the structure. The riverbank will be reinforced with specially designed gabions to stop water from eroding the embankments and bridge supports. Road signs will also be installed.
Currently, the first phase of construction is complete—the two river‑bank abutments of the bridge have been built. The contractor plans to finish all remaining work before winter.
As a result, the Krasniaanske Forestry Management Subunit will gain unobstructed access to its logging fund. The social sector will receive an adequate supply of timber at reasonable prices. Raw materials for local businesses will be delivered without interruption. Proper forest maintenance will be ensured. Village residents will be able to reach their homes and agricultural lands freely and safely.
Strikes specifically targeting wood‐processing enterprises have become systematic. The enemy is attempting to destroy our export potential. Recently, one of Ukraine’s leading manufacturers in the Sumy region was the target of a nighttime attack. Earlier, drones caused significant damage to a production facility in the Chernihiv region.
Just last night, the russians struck the Polish Barlinek plant in Vinnytsia, as reported by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Radosław Sikorski.
Barlinek has long been a trustworthy partner of SFE “Forests of Ukraine” and is one of the leaders in its segment. We stand ready to offer support tools to affected manufacturers, both Ukrainian and European.
In particular, we can consider deferring payment for products under existing contracts. This will allow affected enterprises to concentrate their resources on restoring operations.
We are exploring additional support measures. The strength of our country lies in our unity. The enemy cannot divide or defeat us.
Since the beginning of this year, SFE “Forests of Ukraine” has been actively working to implement the international standard ISO 45001. The standard entails establishing a new occupational health and safety management system within the enterprise.
The primary objective is to reduce the risk of workplace injuries and fatalities.
The enterprise has established a working group to draft normative acts on occupational health and safety in order to comply with the requirements of the international standard. To date, the enterprise has implemented the Procedure for Managing Occupational Risks and Opportunities within its Occupational Health and Safety Management System and carried out pilot projects for operational (production) monitoring, the results of which have informed the development of a draft Regulation on Its Conduct, incorporating the practical experience gained directly within the structural divisions.
The Regulation on the Conduct of Production Monitoring is intended to eventually replace the Regulation on Operational Administrative‑Public Control at enterprises and organizations in Ukraine’s forestry sector, which has been in force for over 25 years.
A draft Regulation on Audits of the Occupational Health and Safety Management System is being prepared, which provides for conducting internal audits of the OHSMS within the enterprise’s structural divisions; and carrying out audits at contractor organizations.
At the site of forestry operations, checklists are being introduced. Workstations will be inspected against compliance criteria — adequate crew staffing; the availability and use of personal and collective protective equipment; the serviceability of tools and auxiliary devices; the completeness of the first‑aid kit; etc. A three‑tier control system is envisaged — from the foreman up to the branch director, with involvement of the Occupational Safety Committees and the management body.
The Procedure for Managing Occupational Risks has been approved. This is a continuous, multi‑stage process that includes gathering feedback from employees. The procedure provides for ongoing training and scenario‑based drills before work commences.
Compliance with these rules will also be required of any contracting organizations with which SFE “Forests of Ukraine” enters into agreements. Verification of contractors’ adherence to the international standard will take place in two stages:
Stage one – the branch of the enterprise appoints a coordinator who will continuously monitor compliance with occupational safety requirements. If a violation is detected, the contractor will be granted time to rectify it. In the event of a repeat violation, the contract will be terminated.
Stage two – conducting audits. The enterprise’s working group is finalizing the core criteria and refining interaction mechanisms, including: planning the audit team; preparing the audit programme; establishing procedures for carrying out the audit and documenting its results.
These audits will give the management of SFE “Forests of Ukraine” assurance that contracting organizations are operating in full compliance with the established requirements and will help ensure that contractor personnel adhere to the safety protocols for work execution.
The war continues. Each week, an average of 4–5 SFE “Forests of Ukraine” employees are mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. More than 2,200 of our foresters continue to heroically defend the country at the front.
Due to the challenging conditions at the front, our soldiers’ needs are growing daily. Equipment is lost, property is damaged, and vehicles break down, often requiring repairs every week. Technology continues to evolve, increasing demand for both combat and reconnaissance drones, as well as their components.
It is these very requests most frequently submitted by mobilized foresters.
To assist our soldiers, each serving in different brigades, we provide targeted aid. For these shipments, we turn to the Union of Forestry Warriors of Ukraine. Every week they receive dozens of requests and respond swiftly. By sourcing quality equipment directly from manufacturers, they can do so at significantly lower cost and support a greater number of our soldiers.
Requests were received from forestry warriors of over 40 brigades: the 80th Separate Airmobile Brigade, the 44th Separate Artillery Brigade, the 3rd Separate Tank Brigade, the 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade, the 18th Separate Marine Battalion, the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade “Knights of the Winter Campaign,” the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade “Black Zaporozhians,” and others.
In the first half of 2025, the Union completed nearly 100 targeted shipments totaling UAH 13 million (excluding large-scale aid to its affiliated brigades). That is 50 % more than in the same period last year.
Union Chairman Volodymyr Kovalchuk personally traveled over 50,000 km to ensure that everyone received exactly what they requested. Fourteen new regional Union representatives also assist with deliveries.
Through the Union, dozens of Mavic quadcopters, FPV drones, generators, Starlink terminals, tablets, thermal imagers, mobile electronic-warfare units, several dome EW systems, laptops, and vehicle components have been delivered. In total, that amounts to over 130 pieces of equipment, all of which will help execute combat missions more effectively.
The joint efforts of SFE “Forests of Ukraine” and the Union of Forestry Warriors of Ukraine to deliver targeted assistance continue unabated. We do everything to ensure our soldiers know they are not forgotten, that they are cared for, and that a warm welcome awaits them at work and home after their service!
The Heart Institute of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine has, for many years, provided highly specialized care for patients with cardiovascular diseases. Recognized as one of Ukraine’s leading cardiothoracic surgery centers, its most experienced physicians use state-of-the-art equipment to treat conditions of any complexity—including myocardial infarction, ischemic heart disease, angina pectoris, hypertension, congenital heart defects, and more.
Partnership with the Heart Institute will enable our employees to receive highly specialized medical care, timely diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, and consultations with leading experts at discounted rates. Our enterprise will cover a portion of the costs.
Under the terms of the agreement, the first 30 foresters from Tsentralnyi, Stolychnyi and Pivnichnyi Forest Offices with cardiovascular conditions received complimentary cardiac screening performed by the Institute’s physicians.
“The primary objective is to identify heart diseases that require further surgical intervention or additional diagnostic work-up. Using an expert-class machine, we performed an echocardiogram and detected structural abnormalities. Those whose condition has deteriorated were referred to our Heart Institute. We will then commence treatment in accordance with the Memorandum’s terms,” says cardiac surgeon Yurii Hutsuliak.
Our enterprise plans to conclude similar agreements with medical institutions in other specialties. After all, the health of employees is a priority for SFE “Forests of Ukraine.”
A uniform is more than just clothing. For a State Forest Protection officer, it forms part of their professional identity and is an essential element of effective work.
The right to wear a uniform is enshrined in the Forest Code of Ukraine and the Regulations on State Forest Protection, the Protection of Forests of Other Permanent Forest Users, and Forest Owners. The uniform serves as official confirmation of a forester’s status as a state representative.
The right to wear a uniform is enshrined in the Forest Code of Ukraine and the Regulations on State Forest Protection, the Protection of Forests of Other Permanent Forest Users, and Forest Owners. The uniform serves as official confirmation of a forester’s status as a state representative.
Since 1992, Ukraine has maintained strict regulations governing the appearance of the uniform, insignia, and wearing protocols, particularly for the so‑called dress uniform. However, modern realities demand more practical solutions.
Consequently, in 2019, the State Forest Resources Agency of Ukraine approved new patterns of workwear for everyday use, essentially a comfortable, functional uniform adapted to the conditions of daily fieldwork in the forest.
Currently, SFE “Forests of Ukraine” does not use the dress uniform—only the everyday version, which is comfortable and reliable. It is procured through the Prozorro public tender system.
Not all foresters are entitled to wear the uniform—it is reserved exclusively for State Forest Protection officers, of whom there are approximately 11,000 in Ukraine.
The primary purpose of the uniform is identification. In the forest, it is crucial to know at a glance who is an official State Forest Protection officer, as there is often a need to confront poachers, illegal logging, and other violations. The presence of patches bearing the wearer’s name and rank immediately establishes the officer’s authority.
Special attention is paid to material quality. The uniform is made from durable, wear‑resistant fabrics that withstand changing weather conditions and provide comfort in the field. After all, this is not a holiday costume but daily workwear that accompanies a forester year‑round.
“Forestry professionals always perform their core duties outside the office, out in nature, and in the open air. Therefore, their clothing must provide a comfortable microclimate in any weather conditions and support the forester’s ability to work year‑round and handle any environmental surprises. It must be lightweight, warm, breathable, waterproof, wear‑resistant, and durable,” says Roberts Strīpnieks, a member of the Supervisory Board of SFE “Forests of Ukraine” who led the joint‑stock company Latvijas Valsts Meži for twenty years.
By the way, forest‐protection uniforms exist in many countries around the world. As in Ukraine, they are predominantly produced in dark green or brown tones—colors that blend with the forest. This is not merely tradition: such a palette helps officers remain less conspicuous while patrolling.
A uniform signifies respect for the profession, order in the forest, and responsibility to society.