Head of Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) Yuriy Lutsenko has directed his agency to monitor 1st category forests, which include reserve and protection forest, and prevent them from being cut down.

"Unfortunately, despite protests of the state forestry agency of Ukraine, Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers acting on the advice of the acting head of the agency recently decided to scupper resolution No. 610, according to which it was possible only with the Cabinet's permission to reclassify 1st category forests. Now regional forestry offices will be empowered to do so," Lutsenko said during a meeting in Zhytomyr on Friday with the region's prosecutors.

Lutsenko said, "[Ukraine's] most valuable forests may be decimated." He said he would personally appeal to the prime minister and president of Ukraine to rectify the situation.

"I am demanding that regional prosecutor offices take under their control the safeguard of 1st category forests in the meantime," Lutsenko told his subordinates.

"If people cut down the forests, you will answer for it," Lutsenko said.