President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the Law "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine Concerning Strengthening Liability for Illegal Extraction of Mineral Resources" No. 1685-IX, adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on July 15, 2021. A law signed by the President makes such activities a criminal offense and increases accountability.
From now on, violation of the established rules for the protection of subsoil, if this created a danger to life, health of people or the environment, as well as illegal mining of local importance in a significant amount, is punishable by a fine from 500 to 800 non-taxable minimum incomes of citizens or by restriction or imprisonment for up to two years.
If the value of illegally mined minerals is 100 or more times higher than the non-taxable minimum income of citizens or minerals of national importance are illegally mined, a penalty is imposed in the form of a fine in the amount of 3,000 to 5,000 non-taxable minimum incomes of citizens, or restriction or imprisonment for up to three years.
If such actions were committed by an organized group or in a generally dangerous way, resulted in the death of people or other grave consequences, a punishment is provided in the form of imprisonment for a term of five to eight years.
The law comes into force on the day following the day of its publication.
