The High Commercial Court of Ukraine has returned the Mezhyhirya residence to state ownership under a petition filed by the Ukrainian Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry, but the ministry plans to demand that the residence be granted the status of an object of the nature reserve fund, Ecology and Natural Resources Minister Ostap Semerak has said.

"The final decision has been made in the Mezhyhirya case. The High Commercial Court of Ukraine adopted a decision transferring the said residence to state ownership. I will recall that the Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry itself initiated the trial and the return of this property from [former Ukrainian President Viktor] Yanukovych to the state," he wrote on his Facebook page on Thursday.

Then, according to him, there will be an inventory of this state property and the definition of its governing body.

"The Natural Resources Ministry will initiate the granting of Mezhyhirya with the status of an object of the nature reserve fund that will forever open this territory for people, will help provide care for rare animals and plants and make this territory an educational and scientific center," Semerak added.

As reported, on March 16, 2017, Semerak said that the Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry had initiated the submission of appeals against court rulings recognizing the legality of the sale of land plots comprising Mezhyhirya by Medinvesttrade private firm to national joint-stock company Nadra Ukrainy in 2007.

"There were several political rulings to nationalize this complex. However, legally, the facilities of Mezhyhirya prior to that time belonged to the companies affiliated with the Yanukovych family. The team at the ministry knows the legal way to return the complex to the people of Ukraine. It has launched legal action to achieve this," he said.

According to the minister, at the request of the ministry and Nadra Ukrainy an appeal has been made against the decision of the Kyiv Economic Court of Appeals and of the decision of the Economic Court of Kyiv involving case No. 6/655 on recognizing as void the agreement dated September 25, 2007.

Semerak said the legality of the deal for a long time has not been disputed and the term of limitations for appeal has expired. In 2007, Medinvesttrade sold Mezhyhirya to a little-known firm called Tantalit, which continues to be the owner to this day. The company figures prominent in many criminal investigations connected with disgraced ex-President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych. Later Medinvesttrade was liquidated.