On October 10, the parliament adopted law No. 9665, which amends the Administrative and Criminal Codes regarding punishment for storing firewood without documents. If the law is signed by the president, almost all villagers who use firewood for their own needs may become violators.
As lawyer Oleksiy Kinebas explained to Suspilny, someone will face a fine for storing firewood without documents, and someone will face criminal liability.
Fine for storing firewood
According to the adopted law, five to seven years of imprisonment are provided for storing firewood without documents. Legislators call this an improvement in liability for illegal cutting and damage to trees.
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— A new article has been introduced into the Criminal Code and the Administrative Code — illegal storage of timber. Now there can be either administrative or criminal liability simply for storage, transportation or sale. For example, two people, a married couple, store firewood worth more than 30,000 hryvnia and do not have documents showing where they purchased the firewood. Criminal liability is provided for from five to seven years, — says the lawyer.
According to Oleksiy Kinebas, even if the firewood is less than 30,000 hryvnia, the law provides for administrative liability, that is, fines. Even one trunk or one stump must have documents.
In this case, almost absolutely all villagers can be held liable.
If the damage caused by illegal felling or damage to trees and shrubs is classified as significant, then you will have to pay a fine of UAH 34,000 or receive a sentence of up to five years in prison. Here, everything will depend on the cost of the damaged wood and the circumstances.
If law enforcement sees grave consequences in the felling of trees under martial law, then the punishment will be stricter — from seven to 10 years.
— For example, for manslaughter you can get a maximum of five to eight years, — the lawyer notes.
Law on firewood and illegal logging
The current Criminal Code specifies liability for illegal logging. In the law on firewood storage, Article 246 was set out in a new version by parliamentarians. Now criminal liability is provided for illegal cutting, damaging trees, bushes, regardless of whether it is a forest or not, the lawyer emphasized.
It is worth noting that in many villages you can find abandoned yards that are overgrown with bushes and which can be used as firewood.
The adopted law on firewood does not have any transitional provisions, which means that after the president signs the document comes into force.
According to the lawyer, if a person bought firewood in the summer or last year, then he must also have the appropriate documents, because he is storing firewood now.
Earlier, the State Emergency Service reminded that burning dry grass, leaves and tree branches is prohibited in Ukraine. For this, the current legislation provides for administrative and criminal liability.
