New Ukrainian law proposes jail for storing firewood ‘without documentation’

Ukraine’s parliament has passed a controversial law imposing criminal penalties on citizens who store, transport, or sell firewood without official documentation proving its origin.

Once signed by President Vladimir Zelensky, the law could lead to prison sentences of up to seven years for those found with undocumented firewood valued over 30,000 hryvnia (around $730).

Lesser offenses involving smaller amounts will incur hefty fines, potentially impacting many low-income rural residents who rely on wood for heating.

This new measure is part of Ukraine’s broader strategy to manage an anticipated energy crisis amid ongoing conflict with Russia, which has significantly damaged the country’s power infrastructure.

With the country facing its third consecutive winter of power shortages and outages, the law aims to address illegal logging, which has escalated due to the demand for alternative heating sources.

Zelensky stressed the importance of winter preparations, highlighting that 80% of Ukraine’s power generation capacity has been destroyed in the conflict.

Lawmakers are urging citizens to seek self-heating accommodations, with officials acknowledging the law’s potential impact on the population but justifying it as necessary to conserve dwindling resources amid wartime hardships.