Ukraine probing 10 cases of invaders destroying Crimea ecology

That’s according to Serhiy Turchyn, head of the police oversight department at the Prosecutor’s Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, who spoke at an online briefing where the report of the CrimeaSOS was presented, entitled "Environment of Crimea: Changes and Losses Over the Time of Occupation," an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Currently, the Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is guiding procedural work in 10 cases into 20 criminal offenses," said Turchyn.

Criminal cases have been launched under Article 236 (Violation of environmental safety rules), Article 240 (Violation of the rules of subsoil protection or use), Article 241 (Air pollution), Article 243 (Marine pollution), Article 252 (Intentional destruction or damage to sites under state protection and the nature reserve fund) Article 441 (Ecocide), and Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Violation of laws and customs of war).

Law enforcers are investigating the intentional destruction and damage to the territories of the Crimean Nature Reserve, the ornithological part of the Swan Islands Crimea Natural Reserve, the Yalta Mountain and Forest Nature Reserve, the Cape Martyan National Nature Reserve, the Oputsky Natural Reserve, the Meganom Complex, and others.

In addition, the prosecutor's office is looking into violations of environmental regulations during the construction of the Kerch Strait Bridge and during the Tavrida highway.

"In particular, during the construction of the Tavrida highway, the facts were established of the illegal felling of about 110,000 trees and nearly 116,000 bushes, including Crimean pine and juniper, which are part of Ukraine’s Red Book," the spokesman said.

A number of examinations have been appointed so far to determine the exact damage inflicted before procedural decisions are made in the cases.

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