More than 100 hectares in a week - this is the scale of forest destruction by Russians in the Liman direction. Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Ruslan Strilets announced this on his Facebook page, UNN reports.
Constant shelling and mining are turning Ukrainian forests into burning fields and cratered holes where there is no life. Russian munitions not only turn trees into charcoal, but also kill and force forest inhabitants to leave their homes. The fire has already destroyed more than 6.5 thousand hectares of forests in the Lyman forestry, 100 hectares of which have been destroyed in the last week alone
He recalled that in 2022, the Lyman Forestry experienced six months of Russian occupation. According to him, the occupation for the Ukrainian forest meant:
- complete destruction of the forestry infrastructure;
- destruction of the unique ecological trail "Forest Necklace" near Yampol, which attracted tens of thousands of tourists every year. As a result of the shelling, exotic animals (alpacas, ponies, kangaroos, ostriches) that are not adapted to life in the wild scattered through the forests;
- the destruction by the occupiers of 80% of the Holy Mountains National Park, a pearl of the Ukrainian environment, which includes part of the Lyman Forestry.
"It is not easy to extinguish forest fires and rescue animals because of the mines and the ongoing hostilities. However, the company has already resumed its work where possible. Last year, the first 9,000 coniferous saplings were planted on the site of the burned forest. This year, we plan to restore 100 hectares of forests in the Lyman region.", Ruslan Strelets noted.
According to him, Ukraine is the first country in the world to collect evidence of ecocide as a result of hostilities.