RUSSIA'S WAR ON UKRAINE: ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT

The first study on the impact of war on the ecosystem of Ukraine

To help the world better understand how the war is destroying Ukraine's environment and what Ukraine needs to restore it, we have prepared an infographic study.

Get the study

722

К tons

The amount of oil, oil products, and gas burned

Ukraine has been defending itself against full-scale Russian aggression for almost two yeas. However, in this war, not only are people starving, but nature is also being destroyed. Ukraine's landscape is scarred by shells, charred by fires, and poisoned by chemical compounds that are incompatible with life. Unfortunately, many unique natural areas may be impossible to restore.

What damage has the Russian invasion caused to the ecosystem of Ukraine? How many years will it take to demine the entire mined territory? And why do we in Ukraine believe that we will be able to restore what was destroyed?

Did you know that Ukraine is the largest country that is entirely located in Europe?

Ukraine is a country at the crossroads of different natural zones,
so we have mountains, steppes, forests and the sea.

603,700 sq km

The area of Ukraine

That's more than Spain.

Or this is like two Polands or six South Koreas.

Carpathians

Ukraine’s main mountains with world’s largest massif of primeval beech forest.

Deer in Dzharylhak Park

The park is located on the largest uninhabited island in Europe.

Lake Arshytsya

One of the many mountain lakes of the Carpathians, where you can disconnect from the world.

Ковила_мiж_селами_Стародубiвка_i_Пискунiвка.jpg

Ukrainian steppe

Almost half of Ukraine is occupied by the steppe, a part of the great Eurasian steppe, which stretches from China to Hungary.

Cape Fiolent

Cape on the Black Sea where the Crimean Mountains begin

We have a lot of agricultural lands, which feeds the entire country and another 400 million people in the world

But now, Ukraine is scarred by shells, charred by fires, and poisoned by chemical compounds incompatible with life

Burn the Maldives 2 times

900

dolphins died in the Black and Azov seas due to the sonars of Russian ships

It will be the same as the area of fires in Ukraine caused by the war

25

parks and nature reserves are currently or have previously been occupied or in a war zone

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

Ecocide in Ukraine as Russia blew up Kakhovka HPP

Fires spread across Ukraine

104 thou. tons

Emissions into the atmosphere from destroyed Russian equipment. It's three Statues of Liberty turned to dust and thrown into the atmosphere

180 mln tons of CO2-eq.

greenhouse gas emissions due to the war. Like in Belgium!

$8.8 bln

Agricultural losses due to war: burnt fields, destroyed and stolen machinery, etc

30%

of the territory of Ukraine is mined

757 years

will be needed to clear all the mines

49+ mines

at least are entirely flooded and cannot be operated in the Donbas region

Despite the vast scale of the destruction, after the victory, we want to restore Ukraine even better than it was before the war

That's how many unique parks and protected places Ukraine has

Would you like to know more?

See the first study on the impact of war on the ecosystem of Ukraine

We have prepared an infographic study to help the world better understand how the war is destroying Ukraine's environment and what Ukraine's recovery needs are.

It has a minimum of text, but many infographics to show how fighting destroys protected areas, harms people's health, and how much money and time it will take to restore.

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We would like to thank the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, Gazeta Wyborcza and our other partners for their help in preparing the study.

Partners

Media support

One day of an invasion causes about $109 million of damage to Ukraine's environment — without considering the Russian ecocide at the Kakhovskaya HPP. Russia is at war with the entire civilized world; every day it cancels the efforts of everyone for whom the fight against climate change is a priority. The Ministry supported this study to show the world the environmental and climatic consequences of Russian aggression and bring closer the moment when Russia will be held accountable for ecocide.

Ruslan Strilets, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine

Update and printing of this report was supported by the Government of Sweden within the
"Mitigating the risks of long-term environmental disasters in Ukraine through the establishment of a Coordination Centre on Environmental Damage Assessment" project implemented by UNDP Ukraine.

Please note that the views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Government of Sweden, the United Nations, including UNDP, or UN Member States.

RUSSIA'S WAR ON UKRAINE: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT