Almost 2.9M ha of Ukraine’s nature reserve fund under threat of destruction

Ukrinform reports this with reference to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine.

“The combat actions launched by the Russian invaders covered a third of the area of Ukraine’s nature reserve fund. As a result, reserves and national parks suffer significant losses. According to scientists, almost 200 territories of the Emerald Network are under threat of destruction. This is 2.9 million hectares that need protection at the European level and are important for rare species and natural habitats in Europe,” the report says.

In particular, in the zone of active hostilities are virgin unploughed steppes, Cretaceous slopes in Donetsk region, coastal ecosystems in the southern regions, swamps in the north. These areas are natural habitats of rare and endemic plant species listed in the Red Book of Ukraine.

The ministry emphasizes that the aggressor will be held accountable for all its crimes.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the beginning of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops have been shelling and destroying key infrastructure facilities, conducting massive shelling of residential areas of Ukrainian cities and villages using artillery, multiple rocket launchers and ballistic missiles.

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