Environmental research on Svydovets conducted by economically interested actors without relevant expertise — investigation
The controversy surrounding the planned Svydovets ski resort in Ukraine’s Zakarpattia region has taken on new dimensions, as details of the international campaign against the project reveal a complex network of local interests and foreign funding. This became known from an investigation published on the Business Matters Magazine website.
The Svydovets project has for several years remained at the center of a public conflict framed as a clash between economic development and environmental protection. While proponents emphasize investment, job creation, and regional growth, opponents have promoted a large-scale media campaign portraying the resort as a threat to the Carpathian ecosystem, particularly forests and water resources.
A key role in shaping this narrative at the international level has been played by the Swiss foundation Bruno Manser Fonds (BMF), which has been actively involved in the issue since 2018. The organization has published widely cited reports, including The Svydovets Case and The Great Carpathian Land Grab, which are often perceived as independent environmental assessments. However, the investigation indicates that BMF operates in Ukraine without a legal presence, relying entirely on local partner networks for information, analysis, and communications.
The main local partner is the informal Free Svydovets Group, established in 2017. The group has no legal status and is therefore not subject to standard transparency requirements, yet it serves as a primary source of data and positioning later incorporated into international reports. Its public representative, Orest Del Sol, a French national who has lived in Ukraine for decades, regularly appears in media and analytical materials as a key commentator opposing the project.
Due to the absence of formal legal structures, a multi-layered funding model has been formed. Financing is provided by international organizations, including Bruno Manser Fonds and Fondation de France, while operational and logistical support comes from the European cooperative Longo maï. On the ground, funds are administered through the Ukrainian NGO “Zakarpattia Association for Local Development,” which acts as a formal recipient of grants and project funding.
At the same time, the investigation highlights that individuals involved in the campaign are also engaged in business activities within the region. Del Sol and his associates are linked to farming, cheesemaking, and eco-tourism projects in Zakarpattia. Some land plots and real estate assets are registered in the name of his wife, who is also involved in related organizational structures. A network of agricultural cooperatives and businesses operating in the region is connected through overlapping participants and shared infrastructure.
Against this background, the construction of a large-scale ski resort could significantly alter the local economic landscape, affecting tourist flows, land values, and infrastructure development. The investigation suggests that such changes may pose competitive risks to smaller, locally embedded tourism and agricultural businesses, indicating a potential economic dimension behind the public opposition.
Questions are also raised regarding the nature of the expertise used to support the international campaign. Key public figures opposing the project are not identified as having formal academic or scientific backgrounds in environmental research or infrastructure assessment. Nevertheless, their positions are integrated into reports by Bruno Manser Fonds and presented internationally as consolidated expert opinion, despite their involvement in local economic activities.
Overall, the Svydovets case appears to be a multi-layered system in which international advocacy, local activist networks, grant funding mechanisms, and regional economic interests are closely intertwined. The findings suggest that the debate over the project extends beyond environmental concerns, highlighting the importance of scrutinizing the sources, motivations, and structure of the campaign shaping international perceptions of the development.