The block on the Svidovets resort in Zakarpattia: who’s behind it has been revealed
The block on the Svidovets resort in Zakarpattia: who’s behind it has been revealed (photo: news.obozrevatel.com)
Three logging entrepreneurs from Zakarpattia have been using the courts to block the construction of the Svidovets resort complex since 2017, according to a new investigation by Obozrevatel. They have also been leveraging environmental activists and concerned citizens to deter potential investors. If the investment project is implemented, logging in the area would be banned.
The report notes that an aggressive anti-PR campaign began just five months after the urban development documentation for the resort was approved in 2017. At the same time, three residents of Lopukhiv village (Ust-Chorna community, Tyachiv district) — Vasyl-Vasylovych Fabrytsii, Valerii-Yosypovych Pavliuk, and Mykhailo-Mykhailovych Soima — filed a lawsuit with the Zakarpattia Administrative Court against the Tyachiv and Rakhiv district administrations.
The case is now once again pending before the Supreme Court, awaiting a new hearing date following an appeal by the plaintiffs. In December 2022, the Eighth Administrative Court of Appeal upheld the detailed development plan as valid and compliant with Ukrainian law.
The main argument of the plaintiffs is that the future resort could harm the natural environment of the Svidovets mountain range. However, the investigation points out a key contradiction: all three plaintiffs are involved in the logging business. Pavliuk is listed as the beneficiary of Bryt LLC, whose core activity is sawmilling and woodworking. The company is also involved in logging and forest management services — something Pavliuk has not denied in previous media interviews.
According to Pavliuk, the second plaintiff, Fabrytsii, is the authorized representative of Yablunytsia Private Enterprise, which specializes in logging and timber trading. The third plaintiff, Mykhailo Soima, is a private entrepreneur also active in the timber business. Notably, a few years ago, all three men were sued by the environmental service for violating environmental protection laws.
The report also highlights that around the same time the lawsuits began in 2017, a civic movement called "Free Svydovets" launched an active campaign against the resort. The movement was founded by French farmer Orest Del Sol, who became its coordinator. Del Sol has long been associated with the European cooperative Longo Mai, known for its anti-capitalist views.
"Free Svydovets" is supported by several other environmental organizations in Ukraine, many of which are likely funded by European grants or even founded abroad. According to Del Sol, he and his associates have repeatedly appealed to international organizations and, since 2017, have organized pilgrimages to the Svidovets Ridge. The campaign against the resort gained momentum thanks to their media resources and social media activism.
However, the investigation notes that this online hype appears to be the main tool used by activists. Representatives of local communities have invited them to jointly discuss environmental concerns multiple times — but those invitations have gone unanswered.
