In the 1000 days since the full-scale invasion, Russia has caused $71 billion in environmental damage to Ukraine, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

The ecological damage caused by military actions over the 1000 days since the onset of the full-scale invasion is estimated at approximately $71 billion. Due to shelling and forest fires, an additional 180 million tons of carbon dioxide have been released into the atmosphere. 

This was reported by the Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, Svitlana Hrynchuk, during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku. 

“During the full-scale invasion, Russia has committed over 6,500 crimes against the environment. More than 6 million Ukrainians have sought temporary protection in various European countries, resulting in an additional 3.3 million tons of CO2 emissions. The total greenhouse gas emissions caused by the war amount to 180 million tons,” Hrynchuk stated.

Furthermore, due to combat actions and forest fires, the potential for carbon dioxide absorption by Ukrainian forests has decreased by 1.7 million tons over nearly three years of war. In total, 3 million hectares of forests have already been destroyed due to the conflict. Additionally, the area of Ukraine contaminated by explosive remnants amounts to 139,000 square kilometers – which is twice the size of Azerbaijan. 

According to the minister, to compensate for the loss of forests due to wildfires, Ukrainians have already planted 555 million trees over an area of more than 75,000 hectares. Partners have also assisted in demining 35,000 square kilometers of land.

The ministry noted that the Russian war is undermining global efforts by the civilized world to combat climate change. In 2009, developed countries agreed to mobilize $100 billion annually to support climate initiatives in developing countries. In contrast, by 2025, Russia plans to spend over $135 billion on military aggression.

Background. Earlier, Mind reported that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in Ukraine, 309 people have died due to mine explosions and explosive remnants.