With the onset of the calendar autumn in Ukraine, an old and dangerous habit traditionally intensifies — the burning of dry grass, fallen leaves, and plant residues in backyards and gardens. Despite long-standing information campaigns, official bans, and a direct threat to the environment, many citizens continue to dispose of waste in this barbaric way.
Environmental Damage and Scale of the Problem
Seasonal burning of dry vegetation causes colossal, often irreparable damage to the environment. During the smoldering and burning of leaves, tons of hazardous chemical compounds, including carbon monoxide, carcinogenic tars, and heavy metals, are released into the atmosphere. Such smoke not only sharply degrades air quality in settlements but also causes severe allergic and pulmonary diseases in people. In addition, fire destroys the unique microflora of the soil, completely destroys its fertile layer, and kills beneficial insects.
Penalties and Code Articles
State authorities remind citizens of administrative and criminal liability for unauthorized burning of dry grass and leaves, regulated by Article 77-1 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses (CUAO). Basic financial penalties for ordinary citizens for burning vegetation within settlements or in open areas amount to significant sums, and if the fire spreads to forest areas or nature reserves, the punishment increases multiple times and amounts to tens of thousands of hryvnias.
Contradictory Data
In open sources and official agency reports, discrepancies periodically arise in assessing the exact minimum and maximum thresholds for fines due to regular changes in Ukrainian legislation and the revision of tax-free citizen income minimums. While some government portals operate with basic figures starting from several thousand hryvnias, environmental inspections insist on applying maximum multipliers for ecosystem damage, including the possibility of bringing violators to actual prison sentences in courts during large-scale fires.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Environmental experts strongly urge Ukrainians to abandon the practice of leaf burning, preferring civilized methods of disposal — such as creating compost pits or removing plant debris to specialized landfills. Following these simple rules will help not only protect the family budget from large fines but also safeguard the health of loved ones and the fragile regional ecosystem.
