Russian Citizens Face Loss of 7 Hectares of Agricultural Land as Kyiv Prosecutor Files Court Action

Lawsuit by the Obolonskyi District Prosecutor's Office

According to Прокуратура Київ: The Obolonskyi District Prosecutor's Office in Kyiv has filed lawsuits seeking to forcibly strip Russian citizens of ownership rights to six agricultural plots covering a total of seven hectares. The legal basis is a violation of Ukraine's Land Code, which requires foreigners who inherit agricultural land to sell or otherwise transfer it within one year.

What Ukrainian Land Law Requires

Under the code, foreigners and stateless individuals may only come into possession of agricultural land through inheritance. Once they inherit it, they have a twelve-month window to dispose of it. In this case, the Russian nationals who own the plots failed to meet that deadline.

The prosecutor's office is asking the court to confiscate the land in favor of the Ukrainian state. Court proceedings have already been opened, according to the press service of the Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office.

This action fits into Ukraine's broader efforts to regulate agricultural land ownership and safeguard national interests under existing property laws. Land inherited by foreigners remains a sensitive issue, especially as the country works to enforce proper legal oversight of farmland during Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine.

The ongoing scrutiny of land ownership in Ukraine is not limited to the recent court action against Russian nationals. In a related development, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) have concluded an investigation into a significant land deal valued at UAH 160 million. This case highlights the critical need for transparency and adherence to legal protocols in land transactions, especially amidst the current geopolitical tensions. For more insights on this investigation, read about it here.