Fakes around the sale of land in Borzhava are aimed at disrupting a large investment project in the Carpathians, - conclusions of the ILI

The auctions for the sale of land near the Borzhava ridge are accompanied by massive fake news, which is likely aimed at disrupting a major investment project in the Carpathians.

This is what the Insider telegram channel writes, summarizing the materials of the analytical report of the Institute of Legislative Ideas specialists.

In this article, the authors present the main claims that are widely circulating in the media, comparing them with analysts’ conclusions regarding the actual state of affairs.

1. Fake: ARMA sold commercial land.
Truth: Only agricultural land was sold—pastures scattered haphazardly outside populated areas, lacking roads and infrastructure.

2. Fake: State-owned land was sold.
Fact: This land does not belong to the state. It belongs to a private owner—a foreign citizen who, for the first time in the history of Ukrainian jurisprudence, voluntarily granted ARMA consent to sell it for the purpose of transferring funds to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The consent was valid for one year and expired on August 5, 2025.

3. Fake: The land was sold cheaply.
Fact: Buyers paid approximately 5,000 euros per hectare of pastureland, which, according to the regulatory monetary valuation, is roughly five times the market price. Meanwhile, the market value of a hectare of the best black soil in the Poltava or Cherkasy regions is 2,000 euros.

4. Fake: ARMA sold the land to a specific buyer through collusion.
Truth: The sale took place only on the 9th (!!!) attempt at an open electronic auction—there were no buyers in the 8 previous attempts.

5. Fake: A new auction will yield a better price.
Truth: A new auction is impossible because the term of the sales agreement expired back in August 2025 and because the purchase price is significantly inflated.

After comparing these positions, the authors reached a number of conclusions.

First, the state is incurring losses; nearly 100 million hryvnias intended for the Armed Forces of Ukraine have not yet been received. And if the auction fails, the land will have to be returned to the private owner.

The sale price was determined by the market through an open procedure on Prozorro; the sale only went through on the ninth attempt.

"The smear campaign was paid for by competitors and appears to be an attempt to derail a major investment project in the Carpathians," - Insider concludes.