23 thousand tons of poison and 61 million tons of toxic emissions found in Ukrainian waters: the consequences of war in numbers
17 March 2025 11:18
Russia has caused more than UAH 3.5 trillion in damage to Ukraine’s environment. The war has caused large-scale air, water and soil pollution and has caused significant losses to the country’s nature reserve fund. Ukraine continues to record environmental damage caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion. The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine responded to a request from "Komersant Ukrainian" to answer what was most affected by Russia’s war against Ukraine, whether environmentalists have access to the frontline areas, and what support can be expected from partners?
As of the beginning of 2025, experts have recorded:
- 22 million m² of contaminated land;
- 1.1 million m² of contaminated soil;
- 23 thousand tons of pollutants in water bodies;
- 37 million kg of foreign materials in water bodies;
- 61 million tons of air emissions from forest fires.
Environmental situation: the scale of the disaster
According to official data, as of February 2025, the State Environmental Inspectorate registered 7,569 cases of environmental violations caused by the war. The estimated losses are as follows:
- uAH 1.2 trillion for soil contamination;
- uAH 776 billion for air pollution;
- uAH 103 billion for water pollution;
- uAH 1.4 trillion for damage to the nature reserve fund.
“Unique natural areas have been destroyed, water bodies have been poisoned and forests have been burned as a result of the hostilities. This is a catastrophe not only for Ukraine but for the whole world,” the Ministry of Environment emphasizes.
Can environmentalists work in the frontline areas?
Environmental specialists have limited access to the combat areas, but they work remotely and use satellite monitoring.
“Damage assessment is carried out using specially developed methods that allow us to record damage even in hard-to-reach areas,” explained Kireeva.
Environmental monitoring reform: is it possible during the war?
The Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy supported draft law No. 7327, which provides for reform of the state environmental monitoring system. The government has already adopted a number of regulations, including Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 684 on the functioning of the monitoring system and No. 815 on environmental information interaction.
“The Ministry of Environment is making efforts to build an effective state environmental monitoring system. The adopted Law of Ukraine No. 2973-IX lays the foundation for a comprehensive approach to assessing the state of the environment, including atmospheric air, water, soil, forests, biodiversity and waste,” said Deputy Minister Viktoriia Kyreeva.
Is there any support from international partners?
The Ministry of the Environment has developed a web resource and mobile application called EcoThreat, which helps citizens record environmental crimes in Russia. Western partners have expressed their willingness to invest in the restoration of Ukraine’s environment after the war.
“Funding from international donors is an important step in rebuilding. We are negotiating with the EU and other countries for support,” the Ministry of Environment said.
Ukraine continues to fight not only for its independence but also for environmental restoration. The Ministry calls on the international community to support the country’s environmental revival and bring Russia to justice for its ecocide.
