Environmental losses due to the shelling of the Ministry of Defense facilities by the Russian Federation have increased to UAH 367 billion
Kyiv • UNN
Environmental damage from shelling of military facilities is estimated at UAH 367 billion. The war led to land pollution, fires and long-term impact on ecosystems.
The damage caused to the environment by shelling of Ukrainian military facilities is estimated at UAH 367 billion or USD 9 billion as of the first quarter of this year. This is reported by UNN with reference to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
Details
Among the environmental consequences of Russian aggression:
- pollution of land with millions of tons of construction debris, fragments of concrete, glass, asbestos, oil products, heavy metals and explosive objects;
- fires that destroyed thousands of hectares of forests.
The natural environment is undergoing significant destruction. The environmental consequences of the war are no less threatening than humanitarian or economic ones - they are already changing landscapes, polluting soils, water environment, atmospheric air and will have a long-term impact on public health and the sustainability of ecosystems - said the head of the environmental safety department of the Main Department of Mine Action, Civil Protection and Environmental Safety, Colonel Yuriy Sytnyk.
He noted that the data published by the Ministry of Defense only partially reflects the extent of environmental losses. As a full assessment of the damage requires lengthy scientific research and continuous monitoring.
Addition
In 2023-2025, the Main Department of Mine Action, Civil Protection and Environmental Safety, within the framework of projects aimed at environmental rehabilitation, established cooperation with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Among the further steps to overcome the consequences of the aggression of the Russian Federation is the creation of the International Scientific and Technological Center for Environmental Research and Elimination of the Consequences of the War.
Let us remind you
Ukraine will need decades to restore ecosystems after the war. This assessment was voiced by experts in the field of engineering and environmental research of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Examinations (KSRIFE).