The company committed to destroying the Polevshchinsky forestry reserve, which is close to the Istra reservoir used for Moscow's water supply.
No construction is allowed there, but an exception was made for Vector Investments LLC, owned by billionaire developer Alexander Klyachin, who also owns the Azimut Hotels chain and the Metropol hotel.
In the interests of Vector Investments, construction for future cottage settlements in New Riga is underway, posing significant risks of pollution to the Istra reservoir, a key water source for Moscow.
The developer exploited loopholes in the government decrees to bypass restrictions and move forward with the project.
The Moscow Region authorities expanded the interpretation of their decrees to enable the construction of a route and communications through reserved forests for the benefit of Alexander Klyachin’s Vector Investments company.
Vector Investments plans to build nearly thirty villages near the Istra reservoir, acquiring a large area of land and transferring it to affiliated structures.
The Polevshchinsky forestry reserve is expected to be crossed by numerous roads and communications due to the development plans for Novorakovo village.
Permission was granted to cut down only a few dozen trees in the reserve, but in reality, thousands of cubic meters of forest are being felled, in violation of norms and laws.
