War-related damage to Ukraine's environment exceeds EUR 65B

The report came from the First Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, Olena Kramarenko, who spoke at a press conference in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

According to the official, in total more than 6,500 cases of environmental damage cases were reported for a total amount of over EUR 65 billion but this is only the "tip of the iceberg" because it will be possible to fully assess damage only after the de-occupation of the regions captured by Russia and the completion of demining.

"Currently, 20% of nature conservation areas of Ukraine are under enemy occupation or within the war zone. The war unleashed by Russia poses a threat to 35% of Europe's biodiversity, we are talking about threats to at least 6% of the continent's area; 1,300 out of almost 72,000 species of plants and animals that are in Ukraine are at risk due to hostilities, they may disappear for good," Kramarenko warned.

As an example, she cited the loss of 80% of the protected potential of the National Nature Park "Holy Mountains" and the destruction of the most uninhabited island in Europe, Dzharylhach. On the occupied island at the outset of the full-scale aggression, the Russians allowed the shooting of animals.

Almost 60 hectares of wild red-book orchids on the Kinburn Peninsula are also at risk of extinction. And the total damage to the Ukrainian nature reserve fund exceeded UAH 600 billion.

"Almost a third of Ukrainian forests were lost as a result of hostilities; of the total forest area in Ukraine of 10.4 million hectares, almost 3 million hectares was affected by the war. Under occupation remains about 2,400 square kilometers of forest. According to the World Bank, the damage to forestry reached $26.5 billion," stated the first deputy head of the Ministry of Environment.

In addition, according to Kramarenko, greenhouse gas emissions as a result of hostilities across Ukraine in just one year of the war reach 150 million tons of CO2. This is comparable to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of the whole of Belgium.

Generalized data on the crimes caused by Russian aggression against the environment in Ukraine and Europe are contained in the second edition of the infographic study "Russo-Ukrainian War: Impact on the Environment", presented during the press conference. On 50 pages, infographics tell about the consequences of the war for the ecosystems across Ukraine.

The study contains data on general damage to the environment, including to water, air, and land, and to regions. Information is provided on the situation in national natural reserves that were under occupation or affected by hostilities, and the consequences of the blowing up of the Kakhovka HPP dam. The scale of mine contamination in Ukraine is also reflected and its impact on flora and fauna is analyzed.

As reported, as of September 2024, more than 6,000 environmental crimes have been recorded in Ukraine, caused by the full-scale invasion, and the damage inflicted is already estimated at UAH 2.6 - 2.7 trillion.