Minister Strilets: Restoration of ecosystems to take 10 years after Kakhovka HPP explosion

It will take ten years to restore natural ecosystems after the Russians blew up the Kakhovka HPP.

"According to our calculations, it will take no less than ten years to restore the valuable territories that nature has formed over decades and hundreds of years. And it's not a fact that it will be restored in its original form... When I talk about restoration, I mean biodiversity and natural ecosystems," Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Ruslan Strilets said during the United News telethon.

According to the minister, specialists from 20 countries are currently working on the program to restore the territories adversely affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka HPP.

At the same time, the issue of restoring the destroyed Kakhovka HPP is not yet on the agenda.

Speaking about the damage caused by the HPP destruction, the minister emphasized that the country lost the most valuable resource — water which met the needs of almost a million Ukrainians.

"Today, 73% of the water from the reservoir has flown into the Black Sea, the area of the reservoir has decreased by 70-80%. The former reservoir turned into the Dnipro River in its historical bed on this part of it.

As a result of the terrorist attack, more than 80,000 ha of protected natural areas were flooded. Today, the water has almost receded, but the soil will be cleared for a long time. There is the potential extermination of endemic animal species.

Since the Lower Dnipro National Nature Park was flooded completely, the vegetation will not be the same as before, the minister added.

As reported, the Russian army blew up the Kakhovka HPP dam on the night of June 6.

Ukrainian hydropower plant operator Ukrhydroenergo stated that the Kakhovka HPP is completely destroyed and cannot be restored.