2 Jun 2026
,Ukraine
Before the New Year holidays in Ukraine, fines for illegal cutting of Christmas trees have tripled. At the same time, legally harvested trees are actively sold in markets at relatively affordable prices. We explain the amounts that violators face, where the highest number of poaching cases are already being recorded, and how buyers can distinguish a legal Christmas tree.
During the pre-holiday period, penalties for illegal felling of coniferous trees have been increased: all fines are multiplied by three. For significant damages, criminal liability is now foreseen.
The fine amount depends on both the diameter of the tree and the location where the illegal cutting took place — in particular, fines are significantly higher in nature reserves and protected areas.
The specific base amounts are as follows:
During the holiday period, all these amounts are multiplied by three. If the damage is considered substantial, violators will have to pay from 30,200 UAH, and they may face criminal consequences.
Control over the harvesting and sale of Christmas trees has been tightened. The state enterprise «Forests of Ukraine» has formed 295 mobile raid teams — nearly 1,000 workers who inspect both forest areas and sales locations.
According to initial results, 385 joint raids have been conducted, 34 cases of illegal cutting have been recorded, and 28 administrative protocols have been issued for a total of over 14,000 UAH. The highest number of violations was detected in Kharkiv, Volyn, and Poltava regions, while in most regions, no violations were recorded at all.
All legally harvested Christmas trees in Ukraine have special labeling — a tag with a barcode or a self-adhesive label. The absence of a tag is a direct sign of illegal origin of the tree.
Legality can be checked online: buyers simply need to enter the code into a special registry, after which the system will display information about the origin, size, and forestry where the tree was cut. If unmarked trees are being sold, foresters advise immediately contacting law enforcement.
In many markets, legal trees are already being offered at prices starting from 170–180 UAH in northern regions and from 210 UAH on average across the country. Compared to last year, the cost has hardly changed: pine trees average 210–250 UAH, spruce and fir — 240–280 UAH. The cheapest trees are traditionally sold in northern and Polissia regions: in Volyn, a 1.5-meter pine costs about 180 UAH, in Sumy and Chernihiv regions — 170 UAH. In regions with a shortage of forest resources and near large cities, prices are usually higher.
Separately, social media is circulating reports about alleged fines for driving on summer tires in winter (340–680 UAH), but there are no legal restrictions for this. However, drivers are advised to switch to winter tires in a timely manner for safety reasons.
Overall, legal Christmas trees are available for purchase, prices remain stable, and control has been strengthened. The key for buyers is to check the tag and code in the registry and report the sale of unmarked trees to law enforcement.
