Russian armed aggression against Ukraine – the impact on the environment of the temporarily occupied territories

Abstract

The armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which has been going on since 2014, caused severe consequences for our state. Besides killing and injuring dozens of thousands of Ukrainian citizens, expelling hundreds of thousands of people from their homes, seizing and destroying infrastructure, Russia has inflicted large-scale environmental damage in the occupied territories. Thus, as a result of the occupation of Crimea, the situation with fresh water on the peninsula is rapidly deteriorating, which can significantly change the ecosystem in the future. In addition, the warfare launched by the aggressor against Ukraine in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions caused serious environmental and man-made consequences, among which the main are pollution of groundwater and surface water, flooding of mines, subsidence, air pollution, destruction of agricultural lands, destruction and damage of nature reserves, forest fires, etc. Ignoring the environmental threats caused by Russian armed aggression can lead to catastrophic aftermath in the future. To prevent this scenario, an effective response is needed not only from Ukraine but also from the entire international community.