The first skidders manufactured for the Carpathian branch of State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” under a contract with a Slovak manufacturer have successfully passed factory tests, the state enterprise announced on its Facebook page.
According to the post, the contract for the delivery of 11 units of equipment was signed in January 2025. The first two skidders have now been manufactured at the plant, and the company’s specialists personally tested them before they were shipped to Ukraine.
“This is a crucial stage, because it’s not just about the quality of the equipment, but also about people’s safety and the reliability of operations in challenging mountainous conditions. That is precisely why we conduct testing at the factory—before the equipment is put into service,” the post notes.
According to the State Enterprise, the first units will arrive in Ukraine in the coming weeks, and deliveries of the remaining nine units are scheduled for mid-summer. The new tractors will be used in 11 forest districts of the Western Region, specifically in the Brustury, Rakhiv, Uzhhorod, and Ivano-Frankivsk districts.
The company emphasized that this is the first purchase of modern specialized equipment of this caliber. Currently, the Carpathian Forest Office uses about 350 tractors, of which more than 80% (285 units) are machines manufactured in the 1980s and 1990s that frequently break down.
“The new equipment will provide greater off-road and mountain mobility thanks to a reinforced frame and all-wheel drive. Twin-drum winches will boost productivity, and modern remote control systems will make the operator’s work safer,” summarized the State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine.”
As reported, the State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” will implement an investment program in 2026 with a total funding volume of 4.1 billion UAH. The modernization strategy allocates over 2.1 billion UAH for the procurement of goods and services from domestic manufacturers, specifically firefighting equipment, trailers, and reforestation equipment.
The modernization of the vehicle fleet aims to replace outdated Soviet-era equipment from the 1980s and 1990s with specialized European-standard machines. The program includes the purchase of more than 200 units of equipment, including modern skidders, harvesters, and energy-efficient tractors, which are expected to increase productivity in challenging terrain and reduce fleet maintenance costs.
The state-owned enterprise “Forests of Ukraine,” together with Latvian partners, has launched a project to create living memorials in the EU, under which 2,000 pine trees were planted in Latvia in honor of nearly 200 Ukrainian foresters who lost their lives, the enterprise’s press service reported on Facebook on Monday.
“The memory of the fallen must be transformed into the world’s determination to stop aggression,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the presentation of the 2026 Four Freedoms Award.
The event in the Talsi region near Kamparkalns marked the first step in the international expansion of the “Forests of Memory” project, under which nearly 50 memorial groves have already been planted in Ukraine. On April 23, a memorial plaque was installed and trees were planted on the Latvian site in honor of the Ukrainian heroes.
“Today, here on Latvian soil, we are creating a living monument to Ukrainian foresters who defended their homeland with weapons in hand. These trees will remind everyone of the courage of the Ukrainian people and the price paid for independence,” emphasized Maris Lopa, Chairman of the Latvian Forest Certification Council.
The event was organized by the Latvian Ministry of Agriculture, the Latvian Forest Certification Council, and the companies Latvijas valsts meži and Latvijas Finieris.
The State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” predicts that this year such memorial forests will also appear in other European Union countries to strengthen international support and honor the heroic deeds of Ukrainian soldiers.
In addition, on April 19, Latvian volunteers delivered another batch of aid to the Armed Forces of Ukraine: seven buses, including two minibuses for units where foresters from Volyn and Rivne regions serve.
The state-owned enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” will resume work on 25 projects involving the construction of forest roads with a total length of nearly 90 km in April, the company’s press service announced on Facebook. According to the report, construction of the projects began in the fall of 2025 in the Carpathian, Northern, Podillia, Polissia, and Kyiv branches. Work was suspended for the winter, but contractors are now resuming the projects.
“During the construction of forest roads, temporary storage sites are being established for the storage, sorting, and shipment of forest products. Road signs and signal posts are being installed. Economic and social factors are being taken into account during implementation, and fire safety measures are being ensured,” stated “Forests of Ukraine.”
According to the state-owned enterprise, a new road in the Nadvirna Forest District, over 2 km long, will provide access to forest stands with a timber stock of 22,700 cubic meters. In the Korosten Forest District, the completion of a 3-kilometer road will shorten the route for logging trucks by 10 km. It is expected that thanks to logistics optimization, the cost per cubic meter of timber in this area will decrease by approximately 20%.
“Forests of Ukraine” clarified that construction in the Putyl Forest District will shorten the route for residents of mountain settlements to the district center by 10 km. In addition, major repairs to the road in the Mekshuniv Forest District (Chernihiv Oblast) will ensure that firefighting equipment can reach a body of water, which will be equipped with a pier for rapid water intake.
Overall, the state-owned enterprise plans to build 60 forest roads with a total length of over 200 km by 2026.
The state-owned enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” plans to establish over 30,000 km of firebreaks in preparation for the 2026 fire season, the enterprise announced on Facebook.
According to the report, the work is carried out twice a year—in the spring and early fall. Foresters pay particular attention to protecting young coniferous trees, as well as areas along railways and highways.
To carry out this work, the state-owned enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” plans to purchase over 100 cultivators, disc harrows, and 42 special forest plows in 2026 to replace outdated equipment.
The total length of the firebreak network within the state forest fund is 140,000 km. Throughout the fire-hazardous season, the enterprise ensures regular maintenance of these firebreaks, including the removal of dry vegetation and debris to maintain their barrier function.
As reported, the state-owned enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” recorded the first forest fires in the Zakarpattia, Lviv, and Volyn regions in March of this year. The main causes of the incidents were the burning of dry grass in areas bordering the forest fund. The State Forest Guard has already switched to an enhanced patrol regime.
“Forests of Ukraine” reminded the public that burning dry vegetation is punishable by fines ranging from 3,060 UAH to 150,000 UAH, and in some cases carries criminal liability.
The state-owned enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” has put more than 1.5 million cubic meters of timber products up for auction as part of the main bidding for the second quarter of 2026, which is 250,000 cubic meters, or 20%, more than usual volumes, the state-owned enterprise’s press service reported on Facebook.
According to the report, starting prices are set at the level of the first quarter of 2026 (+8% relative to the consumer price index) and are significantly lower than selling prices. In most regions, with the exception of Volyn and the Carpathians, the auctions have already taken place. Preliminary results indicate that 100% of both commercial timber and firewood for industrial use (FI) has been contracted.
The state-owned enterprise noted that the average price of firewood increased by 73% compared to the starting price, reaching 2,520 UAH/cubic meter, while the price of commercial timber rose by 26%, reaching 6,500 UAH/cubic meter. Overall, across all product types, the average price increased by 31%, to 5,200 UAH/cubic meter.
“Timber has been getting more expensive every quarter since the second half of 2024. Finally, the trend has paused. The price settled above the starting price but below the current one. In effect, there has been a price adjustment for round timber to the level of the third and fourth quarters of 2025,“ reported ”Forests of Ukraine.”
The price adjustment affected the fulfillment of first-quarter contracts: despite the availability of harvested products, some consumers declined to purchase them. In such cases, “Forests of Ukraine” uses Dutch auctions with price reductions. Over 100,000 cubic meters of round pine have already been listed for sale.
Overall, since the beginning of the year, harvesting has increased by 29% compared to the same period in 2025, but sales volume has increased by only 3%.
“At meetings and conferences, the market cited a shortage of resources and unused capacity, but in reality, it did not respond to the increase in the supply of commercial timber. As a result, there is a surplus of resources and a significant increase in warehouse inventories,” the report notes.
The imbalance applies only to commercial timber, while consumers of industrial firewood are purchasing the full volume (sales breakdown: 40% roundwood, 60% firewood).
To reduce inventory, the company plans to adjust its harvesting strategy: priority will be given to thinning and forest restoration operations that yield more firewood. Currently, the average daily harvesting volume is 45,000 cubic meters.
Since the beginning of 2026, the state-owned enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” has registered property rights to 1,600 hectares of natural forests and reserve lands for forestry purposes, the press service of the state-owned enterprise reported on its Telegram channel.
According to the report, these are self-forested areas that previously belonged to communities or local administrations but did not have official status and were not in use.
The largest areas of land were registered by the branches of the Polissya Forest Office (611 hectares in Rivne region) and the Central Forest Office (681 hectares in Cherkasy region).
“In the first two months of the year, the company submitted applications for another 4,700 hectares, of which more than 2,000 hectares have already received positive decisions,” the State Forestry Agency of Ukraine clarified.
The state-owned enterprise reminded that after the approval of land management documentation, the plots are transferred to the enterprise for permanent use with the corresponding registration of rights.
As reported, Ukraine has about 2 million hectares of self-forested areas that have emerged naturally on abandoned agricultural land, but the procedure for transferring them to the Forest Fund remains complicated. According to Law No. 5650, the recognition of a plot as a forest requires the voluntary consent of communities, which often prefer to lease these lands to agricultural producers for plowing in order to obtain quick tax revenues.
The State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” emphasized that without official registration with the state enterprise, self-grown forests remain without proper care and fire protection. The registration of property rights makes it possible to include these areas in the state monitoring system and prevent their destruction through the economic activities of private individuals and communities.
By the end of 2024, communities had transferred 24,600 hectares of such land to state ownership, and in 2025, rights were formalized for another 9,500 hectares, of which 2,500 hectares were self-seeded forests.
