Since the end of November, State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” has sold over 17,000 Christmas trees worth UAH 3.5 million and has begun raids to detect illegal logging, with fines tripled ahead of the New Year holidays, the state enterprise’s press service reported on Telegram.
According to the report, the largest number of Christmas trees were sold in the branches of the Central Forest Office (6,900), the Northern Forest Office (3,700), and the Polissya Forest Office (3,400).
The average price of one Christmas tree sold is UAH 202 including VAT. In total, the state-owned enterprise plans to sell about 140,000 coniferous trees based on the experience of the previous Christmas and New Year season.
“Forests of Ukraine” reminded that branches of the state-owned enterprise organize retail trade at more than 300 trading sites: in forestry enterprises, fairs, and markets in populated areas. Information about the places of sale and contacts of responsible persons is posted on the website of the state-owned enterprise “Forests of Ukraine.”
In addition, Christmas trees can be pre-ordered by calling the nearest forestry office that sells them. After that, you can come, pay (payment can be made through a terminal in the forestry office/forestry department, at a bank branch, or through online banking), and pick up your New Year’s tree.
Prices for New Year’s conifers have remained almost unchanged compared to last year, averaging between 210 and 250 UAH. Spruce/fir trees cost between 240 and 280 UAH. The cheapest Christmas trees are offered by foresters in the wooded areas of the North and Polissya. For example, in Volyn, a 1.5-meter pine tree costs 180 UAH, and in Sumy and Chernihiv regions, 170 UAH. Prices are slightly higher in low-resource regions in the east and south and near large cities.
Some branches of the State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” offer Christmas trees in containers. Prices start at 500 UAH, depending on size.
At the same time, to protect coniferous plantations during the Christmas and New Year period, branches of the State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” have formed 295 mobile raid groups, comprising almost 1,000 people.
The raid groups conducted 385 joint raids, during which they detected 34 cases of illegal felling of coniferous trees and drew up 28 administrative reports totaling more than UAH 14,000.
The amount of the fine depends on the location of the illegally cut Christmas tree and its diameter at the root collar for trees up to 41 years old: up to 10 cm – 893 UAH (in nature reserves – 7,600 UAH); 10.1-14 cm – 1,500 UAH (13,300 UAH); 14.1-18 cm – over 4,000 UAH (34,700 UAH).
“In December and January, fines are three times higher! In case of significant damage (from 30,200 UAH) from the felling and sale of illegally felled trees, criminal punishment is provided!” – warned the state-owned enterprise.
The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) fined FINACO Financial Company LLC (Kyiv) UAH 1.28 million for violating the requirements of the law on the prevention and counteraction of money laundering and financial monitoring.
According to a statement on the regulator’s website, the fine is related to the improper implementation of internal documents on AML/CFT issues, shortcomings in the work of the responsible employee, failure to provide reports and documents upon request by the NBU, violation of the risk-based approach, improper verification of clients, as well as violation of the procedure for preparing reports and submitting a list of clients. A separate violation of the established procedure for notifying changes in information was noted.
Along with this, in November 2025, the NBU applied measures of influence to other market participants, including fining Pivdenny Bank UAH 18.5 million, Lviv Bank UAH 200,000, and FC ATLANA LLC UAH 595,000.
The total amount of fines for the month was UAH 20.57 million.
The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) fined Pivdenny Bank (Odesa) a total of UAH 18.5 million for violations of legislation in the field of preventing and combating money laundering (AML/CFT) and currency legislation.
According to a statement on the regulator’s website, the bank must pay UAH 17.5 million in fines for improper application of a risk-based approach, improper verification of customers, shortcomings in enhanced verification of high-risk customers, and violation of the procedure for providing information in response to NBU requests.
Separately, Pivdenny Bank was fined UAH 1 million for violating currency supervision requirements, in particular for improper analysis of currency transaction documents and failure to identify currency transaction indicators.
In addition, the NBU issued two written warnings to the bank: for deficiencies in internal documents on AML/CFT and risk management, as well as for errors in statistical reporting on currency transactions.
As reported, in November 2025, the NBU applied sanctions to two banks and two non-bank financial institutions, including fines totaling UAH 20.57 million.
At its meeting on Friday, the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) recognized the actions of Lirans LLC, Torgovy Dom Morshinski Dzherela LLC, and Shayanski Dzherela LLC as violations of the law on protection against unfair competition due to the dissemination of false information about the drinking waters Aqua Baby, Aqua Karpaty, and Shayanska Kremniyeva, the agency’s press service reported.
The AMCU noted that it had initiated proceedings based on complaints from Oskar CJSC, which complained about the actions of its competitors, Lirans LLC and Morshynski Dzherela Trading House LLC. According to the applicant, the companies disseminated false information on product labels, websites, and/or online marketplaces, in particular about the origin of such waters from the Carpathians and/or the Morshyn deposit, about the products’ classification as mineral waters and/or waters intended for baby food, the method of production, consumer properties, and certain characteristics of Aqua Baby and Aqua Karpaty waters.
Liran LLC and Trading House Morshynski Dzherela LLC did not provide evidence to confirm the information about these waters posted in the places of distribution during the consideration of the cases. Therefore, the committee used the information provided by the Western Scientific Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
During its inspection, the AMCU identified violations in the actions of Shayanski Dzherela LLC, which is the producer and distributor of Shayanska Kremniyeva drinking water, positioned as natural mineral table water, as indicated on its label. In addition, the following information about the properties of this water is distributed: “Cares for the brain” with the note “Saturates blood vessels with silicon, makes them more elastic, thereby promoting cognitive recovery.”
Shayanska Dzherela LLC also failed to provide the AMCU with evidence to support the information distributed on the labels of Shayanska Kremniyeva water. At the same time, the State Scientific and Research Institute of Rehabilitation and Resortology of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine reported that Shayanska Kremniyeva water cannot be classified as natural mineral table water, since the institute has not verified the stated properties of this water.
Based on the results of consumer surveys, the AMCU determined that the information disseminated about Shayanska Kremniyeva, Aqua Baby, and Aqua Karpaty water could influence consumers’ intentions to purchase such products.
Liran LLC, Trading House Morshynski Dzherela LLC, and Shayanska Dzherela LLC, in this way, are convinced by the committee, may gain unfair competitive advantages over producers and/or sellers of natural mineral table and drinking waters that are manufactured in compliance with the requirements for the production of baby food products, as well as processed bottled drinking waters.
The AMCU recognized such actions by the companies as a violation of the law on protection against unfair competition, imposed appropriate fines on them, and obliged Torgovy Dom Morshynski Dzherela LLC and Shayanski Dzherela LLC to cease the violations.
The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) fined Elit Finance FC LLC (Kyiv) UAH 76,500 for violating ethical conduct requirements, according to the regulator’s website.
The decision was made based on the results of non-field supervision of compliance with the requirements of Ukrainian legislation on the protection of the rights of consumers of financial services, during which facts of non-compliance by the company with the requirements established by law regarding interaction with consumers and other persons during the settlement of overdue debts (requirements regarding ethical conduct) were revealed.
The relevant decision was adopted by the Committee for Supervision and Regulation of Non-Bank Financial Services Markets on October 6, 2025.
Elit Finance FC LLC was registered in March 2016 with a charter capital of UAH 20 million.
The State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection (State Food and Consumer Service) received over 200 complaints about violations of anti-smoking legislation between January and June 2025, on the basis of which 113 inspections were carried out, resulting in 82% of cases recording violations and issuing fines of over UAH 2 million, the agency’s press service reported.
“Financial sanctions in the amount of UAH 2.4 million were imposed, of which UAH 1.5 million has already been paid voluntarily. UAH 64,000 was collected through enforcement,” said Andriy Kreitor, deputy head of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection.
Among the most common violations, the agency cited smoking and hookah use in prohibited places, the absence of no-smoking signs, and advertising and promotion of tobacco products. The largest number of violations was recorded in Kyiv, Lviv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
The State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection reminded that there is a complete ban on advertising tobacco products in Ukraine. These restrictions are aimed at protecting the health of citizens, in particular children and young people, and reducing the negative impact of tobacco products on the population.
