Hundreds of hectares of nature remained without boundaries for years: the prosecutor’s office protected the Balabanivsky Forest in court

28 September 2026 The Mykolaiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office announced a court decision concerning the local forest reserve “Balabanivka” in Mykolaiv. Following the prosecutor’s appeal, the court obliged the state specialized commercial enterprise “Lisy Ukrainy” to establish the boundaries of the protected area totaling 510 ha.

The Mykolaiv District Administrative Court fully granted the claim of the District Prosecutor’s Office of Mykolaiv against the State Specialized Commercial Enterprise “Lisy Ukrainy”, represented by the “Southern Forest Office” branch.

By the court’s decision, the enterprise must ensure the establishment of the boundaries of the local forest reserve “Balabanivka” covering 510 ha.

The reserve was created to preserve the biotic and landscape diversity of the riverside sands in the lower reaches of the Southern Bug River. The specific natural conditions of this area have contributed to the formation of a unique floristic complex.

Rare and endemic species of vascular plants grow in “Balabanivka”, some of which are listed in the “Red Book of Ukraine” and the “European Red List”.

According to the official register of the nature reserve fund, the forest reserve “Balabanivka” covering 510 ha was established by the decision of the executive committee of the Mykolaiv Regional Council dated 23 October 1984, No. 448. The territory is located within the Mykolaiv city community.

At the same time, the prosecutor’s office notes that for a long period the State Specialized Commercial Enterprise “Lisy Ukrainy”, through its “Southern Forest Office” branch, did not take the necessary measures to prepare and approve a land management project for the organization and establishment of the boundaries of the nature reserve fund territory.

In fact, the protected area had the official status of a reserve, but the issue of properly documenting and establishing its boundaries remained unresolved.

The prosecutor’s office emphasizes that established boundaries are necessary for proper protection of the reserve and for preventing activities that could pose a threat to its ecological condition.

Due to failure to comply with environmental legislation requirements, the District Prosecutor’s Office of Mykolaiv appealed to the administrative court.

The Mykolaiv District Administrative Court fully satisfied the prosecutor’s claim and obliged the State Specialized Commercial Enterprise “Lisy Ukrainy”, represented by the “Southern Forest Office” branch, to establish the boundaries of the local forest reserve “Balabanivka” covering 510 ha.

Earlier we wrote:

• Almost 38 years of waiting: the “Druzhba” park in the Korabelnyi district finally received protected status
• The “Druzhba” park in the Korabelnyi district is proposed to be added to the list of Mykolaiv region’s nature reserves
• Finally, the boundaries of the protective zone have been established for the horizontal oak that grows in the Korabelnyi district
• Forest under threat: sand is being stolen again in the Balabanivskyi tract, authorities remain silent
• The Zhovtnevyi District Court returned another plot of the “Pivostriv Pishchanyi” reserve to state ownership