Illegal logging remains a problem for the forestry industry, but its actual impact on the timber market is significantly less than the widespread claims of a “massive shortage”. According to the State Forestry Agency, more than 14,000 raids have been conducted since the beginning of the year, and State Forest Protection Agency employees have referred more than 2,200 cases of illegal logging to law enforcement agencies.
In forests under the agency’s jurisdiction, the volume of illegal logging in annual terms is about 0.3% of legal harvesting. These data show that illegal logging is not capable of creating a resource shortage in the market. At recent auctions, sellers were offered 1.4 million cubic metres of timber, while in the first three quarters of 2025, the volume of illegal logging amounted to 30,100 cubic metres.
The dynamics also indicate a decrease in the number of violations. In 2003, 15,500 cases of illegal logging were recorded. In 2017, there were 7,100 cases. In 2024, there were 4,600 cases, i.e. the trend is steadily declining.
At the same time, other, much more significant factors affect legal timber harvesting. Due to the war, large areas of forests remain temporarily occupied, and significant territories are mined or located in the combat zone. Some forest areas are inaccessible for defence reasons, and the industry as a whole has lost about 20% of its resources. Due to these conditions, approximately 3 million hectares of forests out of 10.4 million hectares in the state fund are negatively affected.
The State Forestry Agency is implementing measures aimed at increasing available resources and meeting the demand from wood processing enterprises. The agency assures that the timber market remains stable and that the key risks are not related to illegal logging but to the consequences of full-scale war.
Read also:
Spring forest planting completed in Poltava and Kharkiv regions
