December 29, 2022

Russia’s war on Ukraine is also a war on Nature

topic:	Climate Change
located:	Ukraine
editor:	Katarzyna Rybarczyk

While the human toll of the war in Ukraine is of paramount importance, the collateral impact of the Russian invasion on the environment cannot be overlooked. Although the complete scale and severity of damages cannot be assessed until after the fighting stops, the conflict has already caused considerable environmental destruction that is likely to have long-term consequences.  

Since the beginning of the war, Ukraine has recorded over 2,200 crimes against the environment committed by Russia. Russian missile strikes have frequently targeted Ukraine’s oil depots, chemical plants and energy facilities, which has led to chemical leaks polluting the country’s water and land. This toxic legacy will haunt Ukraine for years after the war ends, putting residents of affected areas at increased risk of cancer and respiratory problems.  

But the environmental toll of the war does not end there. In an address to the participants of the 27th UN Conference on Climate Change, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that “the Russian war destroyed 5 million acres of forests.” 

Additionally, the Ukrainian Ministry of Environment published a statement revealing that 900 reserves - covering one third of the total protected areas in Ukraine - have been affected by shelling, bombing and other military activities. As a result, wildlife and thousands of plant species have been affected. 

The Ukrainian Ministry of Justice estimates that the cost related to the environmental impacts of the war is around UAH 1.419 billion ($38.4 billion), but as the conflict is still ongoing, further losses are unavoidable. With each passing day, the damage inflicted on the environment increases and its impacts begin to reach beyond Ukraine’s borders, adversely affecting the global climate. 

So far, the war in Ukraine “has led directly to emissions of 33 million tonnes of greenhouse gasses that warm the Earth's atmosphere,” observed Ruslan Strilets, Ukraine's Environmental Protection Minister, and added that “rebuilding the country will cause significantly more emissions, up to 49 millions tonnes of carbon dioxide.”

After the war ends, the environmental destruction will not be reversed immediately. On the contrary, replanting trees, restoring biodiversity and cleaning up pollutants can take decades. Yevheniia Zasiadko from Ecoaction, a Ukrainian environmental organisation, believes “it will take at least 50 years for our [Ukrainian] environment to recover from the conflict.” 

To avert causing even more harm to the country’s fragile environment, the recovery process must have the principle of sustainability at the centre. For ecosystems to be restored, protected areas will have to be expanded. And although there will be the urge to rebuild homes and infrastructure as fast as possible, reconstruction efforts should aim to improve their energy efficiency. Finally, rather than going back to an economy dependent on fossil fuels, Ukraine should focus on promoting renewable technologies. 

Post-war recovery should involve not only repairing what has been destroyed, but it should also represent an attempt to create a country where future generations can prosper: green reconstruction is the only path to achieving that. 

Photo by Matt Palmer

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