Ukrainians attempting illegal oil extraction from pipelines

In Western Ukraine, there are ongoing and frequent attempts to illegally interfere with oil pipelines.

Since the war began, law enforcement in the Lviv and Zakarpattia regions have initiated four criminal cases, citing Articles 185 (Theft) and 292 (Damage to main or industrial oil, gas, condensate pipelines, and oil product pipelines). Authorities continuously discover signs of tampering and premeditation, alongside the recovery of nearby equipment used in illicit oil extraction.

Nineteen instances of pipeline tampering were documented in the past year. According to the State Bureau of Investigation (GBR), approximately 20 criminal groups specializing in oil product theft operate in the Lviv region alone. However, only 27% of these crimes ultimately result in being solved.