The Appeal Court of Kyiv region has brought back into state ownership 8.8 ha of forestland village which belonged to former president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych near Sukholuchia.

"The Appeal Court of Kyiv region granted the appeal of the region's prosecutor's office and revoked the illegal judgment of Vyshgorod district court that refused to bring 8.8 ha of forestland within the administrative borders of Sukholuchia village in Vyshgorod district worth UAH 5.2 million to the state," the press service of the prosecutor's office of Kyiv region reported on Friday.

The reason the prosecutor's office issued the lawsuit was the violations by Kyiv Regional State Administration and Vyshgorod District State Administration in managing the land.

Kyiv Regional State Administration withdrew the parcels of forestland of the Dniprovsko-Teterevske state forest hunting range managed by Sukholuchia village council from sustainable use and changed their intended use to agricultural land. Vyshgorod District State Administration then transferred the land to the possession of 14 citizens who gave the above-mentioned parcels of land to "Woodsman's House" LLC. In 2009, the regional state administration once again changed their intended use to construction and the hotel and catering business. Yanukovych's former residence is located on this land, the prosecutor's office said.

"However, according to the law, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is the only [agency] authorized to withdraw forest land," the prosecutor's office added.

The region's prosecutor's office is currently taking steps to implement the court's decision and to bring the land back into state ownsership.