Scandal over the felling of oaks: Sienkevych responds to citizens' accusations

In Mykolaiv the situation has again escalated around the possible construction of a gas station in a green area – in the square near “Zoria”. After a wave of outrage among city residents, mayor Oleksandr Senkevych April 6, 2026 commented on the situation, emphasizing that the city authorities are acting within the law and taking the community’s position into account. According to him, the project had already twice failed to receive a positive conclusion, because the housing and communal services department found inaccuracies in the environmental impact assessment report and recommended either abandoning the implementation or changing the location. At the same time, afterwards the Ministry of Economy and Environment of Ukraine nevertheless issued a positive conclusion, but with an important caveat: tree felling is possible only by decision of the city council.

“I see a wave of statements that I supposedly support the construction of a gas station in a green area and intend to cut down trees. I explain once again. As I said in May, I say now: we act within the law and taking the community’s position into account. This project twice did not receive a positive conclusion. After that the Ministry issued a positive conclusion, but the removal of trees is possible only by decision of the city council. There have been and are no decisions to cut down the oaks“, – the mayor explained his position in connection with the spread of statements about his alleged support for the development of the green area.

“So the construction was approved, and the issue of tree felling was shifted to the city“, – said Oleksandr Senkevych about the Ministry’s decision.

The information that there were no decisions to cut down trees and that there are none at present – is important information. But might news of the destruction of the square appear in the near future?

Previously we wrote:

• Battle for the oaks in Mykolaiv: MP Kopytin stood with the people, while the “servant of the people” Haidu keeps silent on the sidelines
• Scandal over the square near “Zoria” escalates to a new level: the ministry has recognized the development as permissible
• They wanted to destroy the green area for a gas station and a shop – ecologists intervened
• 182 oaks under the axe: Mykolaiv residents demand Senkevych’s resignation over the “green slaughter” and prepare an aspen stake
• The mayor shrugged his hands, the architect blinked his eyes: nobody “knew” about the destruction of 187 oaks in Mykolaiv