Purchase of firewood for winter without documents: what penalty awaits Ukrainians

As the cold approaches, more and more Ukrainians are preparing for winter by stocking up on firewood for heating. However, foresters warn: buying wood without official documents can be very costly. This is reported by Novyny.LIVE.

What is the penalty for purchasing firewood without documents in October 2025

According to a forester from one of Kyiv's forestry enterprises, Mykola Kovalenko, purchasing illegally harvested firewood is punishable by a fine ranging from 34,000 to 425,000 hryvnias – depending on their value. In severe cases, the buyer may even face imprisonment for a term of 3 to 7 years. Criminal liability is also provided for those who transport wood without proper documents.

Signs of firewood without documents

To avoid trouble, experts advise carefully checking the seller and the origin of the firewood. Special attention should be paid to the following signs:

• Price. An unusually low cost compared to the market is the first sign of dubious goods.

• Documents. The seller should have a forestry ticket or other official permits.

• Transport. A reliable seller delivers firewood with a logging truck and documents, not 'from the trunk'.

• Labeling. Legal firewood has tags, stamps, or plates with the forestry number.

• Origin. The seller must provide information about the area where logging was conducted.

Kovalenko recommends ordering firewood only through official services, such as the state platform 'DrovayE'. This guarantees the security of the transaction and confirms the legality of the wood.

Previously, we wrote how much a cubic meter of beech and pine costs now. The DrovayE platform shared interesting information about firewood prices this year.