Russia, which has been accused of stealing grain and agricultural land since its invasion of Ukraine last year, has now been accused of also stealing hectares of timber, cutting down large swaths of trees for both commercial gain and to strengthen defense positions, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Satellite imagery has shown significant deforestation in areas since the invasion, and the State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine announced it is “investigating the expropriation of a forest by Russian troops and local Ukrainian ‘collaborators’ in the northern district of Kharkiv,” according to the report.
Ukrainian military intelligence also documented a letter sent shortly after Russia’s invasion in March 2022 from Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu to President Vladimir Putin in which he asked permission to harvest timber during the military operation: “Wood not used for defense will be sold to finance the military operation,” the letter stated.
