The Velykooleksandrivskyi District Court of Kherson Oblast found the occupation director of the Biosphere Reserve “Askania-Nova”, Dmytro Meshcheryakov, guilty of a number of criminal offenses related to the illegal seizure and use of the reserve during the temporary occupation of the Kherson region.
This is stated in the court verdict.
According to the court, Meshcheryakov, within the scope of his powers, carried out organizational and administrative as well as law enforcement functions, including the protection of natural territories, and participated in the illegal transfer of the reserve’s rare animals to Russian institutions.
According to the case materials, Meshcheryakov organized the removal from the reserve’s territory:
- Chapman’s zebras, American bison, Przewalski’s horses and Père David’s deer, causing damage of UAH 17.95 million;
- gray Ukrainian breed of cattle – UAH 4.26 million;
- rare zebras – UAH 63.06 million.
Meshcheryakov’s actions were qualified under Part 7 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (voluntary assumption of a position in an illegal authority) and Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of the laws and customs of war).
The court sentenced him to 15 years of imprisonment, confiscation of all property, and deprivation of the right to hold positions in government bodies and engage in public activities.
The court also ordered Meshcheryakov to pay the reserve material damages in the amount of UAH 85,271,000 and UAH 4,000 for the costs of forensic commodity examinations.
According to the prosecutor’s office, this is the first case in Ukraine during the full-scale war in which a verdict has been issued for a war crime against the nature reserve fund.
Recall, the territory of the Biosphere Reserve “Askania-Nova” has been occupied since February 24, 2022. In December 2024 the Russians registered it under their own legislation.
At the end of April 2024, information emerged that the reserve is in critical condition.
The lawful management of the Biosphere Reserve “Askania-Nova” confirmed the facts of the removal of the animal collection, the loss of Red Book vegetation and animal deaths as a result of panic.