In Kharkiv region, protected lands have been transferred to private ownership: The court has made a final decision in the case.

The Barvenkovo court has returned 40 hectares of land from the natural reserve fund to state ownership in the Kharkiv region.

This was reported by the press service of the Kharkiv regional prosecutor's office, as conveyed by "Dumka".

According to the prosecutor's office, the territory of the Mechebilivka rural community in the Barvenkovo urban territorial community of the Izyum district of the Kharkiv region houses the local ornithological reserve "Kuplevattske," which covers an area of 40 hectares.

"The reserve is part of the natural reserve fund of Ukraine, which is protected as a national treasure and is an integral part of the global system of natural territories and objects under special protection. Meanwhile, the landowner, namely the Mechebilivka village council represented by the village head, takes responsibility for protecting this designated reserve and commits to preserving it while adhering to ecological requirements when utilizing natural resources," the statement reads.

However, despite this, an order from the Main Department of the State Geocadastre in the Kharkiv region in September 2018 transferred a 2-hectare plot of land from state agricultural land to a private individual for personal farming purposes.

This plot is located within the reserve. At the same time, legislation stipulates that lands from the natural reserve fund cannot be transferred into private ownership.

These violations were the grounds for the district prosecutor's office to file a corresponding lawsuit in court.

By the decision of the Barvenkovo district court in the Kharkiv region, the prosecutor's claims were fully satisfied — the plot will be returned to state ownership.