The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to serious environmental consequences. The invasion has resulted in forest fires, air pollution, soil contamination, water pollution, inundation and damage to nature reserves. This has placed increased stress on ecosystems and the environment, accelerating the climate crisis.
Fires caused by fighting in the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve were large enough to be seen from space.[1]
It has also accelerated the renewable energy transition in Germany.[2]
Environmental pollution
As a result of hostilities in March 2022 (mostly from 10 to 18 March), the entire network of large metallurgical and chemical industries concentrated in eastern Ukraine was completely destroyed. Among the many industrial enterprises damaged as a result of hostilities were the most environmentally unsafe industries – Azovstal, Avdiivka, Lysychansk Refinery, Sumykhimprom and others. These enterprises have traditionally posed the greatest danger to the environment in Ukraine and formed the image of one of the most polluted in Ukraine for the cities of their location. At the same time, before its destruction, Azovstal managed to stop the processes in such a way that the damaged facilities did not pose a threat to the environment. On 24 February, the company's management began to develop a program of environmentally safe shutdown. Coke ovens were stopped, the temperature was lowered, and liquid glass was poured in to prevent the coking process from continuing and the coke oven gas to be released as intensively as possible.[3]
Without adequate human regulation, various sites could spill fuel and leak pollutants.[4]
Environmental risks of nuclear energy facilities within war-zones and bombing/shelling of or near them – as well as of waste-sites[5] – have become clearer and continue to be a concern to experts.[6][7][8]
Shelling of hazardous facilities and subsequent release of contaminants
Oil depots were among the first to be affected (in addition, they became the most common category of man-made hazards in various regions). At least 60 oil depots and other storage facilities for fuel and lubricants in 23 oblasts were affected.[9]
The second group of targeted shelling was warehouses of flammable substances (varnishes, paints) and large construction supermarkets of the Epicenter chain. Also on 17 March, a powerful fire engulfed the largest market in Europe: Barabashovo (Kharkiv). The fire was so strong that it spread to several apartment buildings next to the market.[10]
Among other objects that became a source of air pollution due to the shelling was the destruction of the gas pipeline in Kharkov on 27 February, which led to a powerful explosion and shock wave that damaged buildings in residential areas. On 10 March, in Svitlodarsk, a large fire lasted several hours; on the same day, Russian aircraft struck the Donetsk-Mariupol gas highway, where an explosion and fire occurred. Three days later, on 13 March, a fire began on the gas pipeline at the Avdiivka Coke Plant after shelling,[11] and a gas pipeline in Trostyanets was damaged on 23 March. In general, there is very little information about damage to gas pipelines in the public domain, although it is known that as of 5 March 2022 as a result of shelling was recorded shells hit the gas transmission system of Ukraine in Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhia, Kyiv, Donetsk, Luhansk regions of Ukraine.[9]
On 21 March, in Sumy at the Sumykhimprom enterprise, missiles hit tanks filled with ammonia, forming a zone of damage with a radius of up to 2.5 km, which can be compared with the actual use of chemical weapons.[12] Also on 5 and 9 April, in Rubezhnoye, the Russians blew up a tank with nitric acid.[13][14]
On 4 April, a cruise missile was shot down by air defense forces in the Kremenets district of Ternopil region. Its wreckage damaged six tanks filled with organic fertilizers, resulting in a leak of chemicals, the main component of which is ammonia. In a few hours the leak was stopped. The leak caused water pollution in the Ikva River, which led to the mass death of fish.[15]
Significant transformations of landscapes
There is one example of the fundamental transformation of natural landscapes caused by the direct actions of Russian troops against Ukraine. On 26 February 2022 in the area of the village Kozarovichi Russian troops destroyed the dam that separated the Irpin River from the Kiev Reservoir. In one and a half months, the water from the reservoir flooded the floodplain of Irpen up to the village Horenka, which is more than 10 kilometers (straight line distance) upstream.[16]
Indirect environmental impacts due to sanctions
An expert recommended an "overhaul of Ukraine's economy, which is very energy intensive and oriented on production of raw materials" for it "to become a new industrial and renewable energy hub for Europe but based on clean technologies".[4]
See also
- Environmental impact of war
- War and environmental law
- Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation & Vulnerability (UN IPCC AR6 WGII & WGIII reports)
References
- ^ Anthes, Emily (2022-04-13). "A 'Silent Victim': How Nature Becomes a Casualty of War". The New York Times. Translated by Kinsella, Ali. New York, USA. Archived from the original on 2022-04-18. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
- ^ "How the Ukraine war is accelerating Germany's renewable energy transition". Environment. 2022-05-06. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
- ^ Азовсталь був зупинений за правилами та не несе небезпеки екології — гендиректор. suspilne.media (in Ukrainian). Kyiv, Ukraine: НСТУ. 2022-03-19. Archived from the original on 2022-04-11. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
- ^ a b "Analysis | War in Ukraine poses environmental risk now and in the future, advocates say". Washington Post. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
- ^ "Radioactive waste disposal site near Kyiv hit by airstrike, Ukraine officials say". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
- ^ "Russia's war in Ukraine raises nuclear risks, physicists warn". Science News. 2022-03-07. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
- ^ "expert reaction to Russian attacks at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant | Science Media Centre". Retrieved 2022-04-18.
- ^ "Experts predict lasting environmental damage from Russia's invasion of Ukraine". ABC News. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
- ^ a b Інформація про наслідки для довкілля від російської агресії в Україні 24 лютого – 18 березня 2022 року [Information on the environmental consequences of the Russian aggression in Ukraine from 24 February 24 to 18 March 2022]. News (in Ukrainian). Kyiv, Ukraine: Міністерство захисту довкілля та природних ресурсів України (Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine). 2022-03-21. Archived from the original on 2022-04-11. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
- ^ Через обстріли у Харкові загорівся ринок "Барабашово" [Barabashovo market catches fire due to shelling in Kharkiv]. Українська правда (Ukrayinska Pravda) (in Ukrainian). 2022-03-17. 48609. Archived from the original on 2022-04-18. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
- ^ На Авдіївському коксохімі після обстрілу горить газопровід [A gas pipeline is burning at the Avdiivka Coke Plant after shelling]. lb.ua (in Ukrainian). 2015-02-10. Archived from the original on 2022-04-18. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
- ^ Кізілов [Kizilov], Євген [Eugene] (2022-03-21). Через ворожий обстріл на "Сумихімпромі" стався витік аміаку: зона ураження – 2,5 км [Ammonia leaked due to enemy shelling at Sumykhimprom: 2.5 km]. Українська правда (Ukrayinska Pravda) (in Ukrainian). 91030. Archived from the original on 2022-04-18. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
- ^ Тищенко [Tishchenko], Катерина [Kateryna] (2022-04-09). Луганщина: росіяни влучили в цистерну з азотною кислотою, пари полетіли на їх позиції [Luhansk region: Russians hit a nitric acid tank, steam flew to their position]. Українська правда (Ukrayinska Pravda) (in Ukrainian). 65608. Archived from the original on 2022-04-18. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
- ^ Петренко [Petrenko], Роман [Roman] (2022-04-05). Росіяни влучили в цистерну з азотною кислотою на Луганщині – людей просять закрити вікна та шукати маски [The Russians hit a tank with nitric acid in Luhansk region – people are asked to close the windows and look for masks]. Українська правда (Ukrayinska Pravda) (in Ukrainian). 50381. Archived from the original on 2022-04-13. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
- ^ Тищенко [Tishchenko], Катерина [Kateryna] (2022-04-05). "Тернопільщина: через уламки ворожої ракети стався витік хімікатів, забруднено річку" [Ternopil region: chemicals leaked due to enemy rocket debris, river polluted]. Українська правда (Ukrayinska Pravda) (in Ukrainian). 85730. Archived from the original on 2022-04-18. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
- ^ В Киевской области из-за подрыва оккупантами дамбы есть угроза затопления села. Разлив реки не дает РФ перебрасывать свои войска [In the Kiev region, due to the undermining of the dam by the invaders, there is a threat of flooding the village. The flood of the river does not allow the Russian Federation to transfer its troops.]. nv.ua (in Russian). 2022-03-19. Archived from the original on 2022-04-18. Retrieved 2022-04-15.
- ^ "'This is a fossil fuel war': Ukraine's top climate scientist speaks out". The Guardian. 2022-03-09. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
- ^ Meredith, Sam (2022-03-24). "The enabler of Russia's war? Ukraine's top climate scientist lays the blame on fossil fuels". CNBC. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
- ^ Einhorn, Catrin; Friedman, Lisa (2022-03-18). "Nations Should Conserve Fuel as Global Energy Crisis Looms, Agency Warns". The New York Times. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
- ^ "Will war fast-track the energy transition? | DW | 04.03.2022". Deutsche Welle (www.dw.com). Retrieved 2022-03-25.
- ^ Jordans, Frank. "German official: Ukraine war will boost low-emissions tech". phys.org. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
- ^ "UN chief: Don't let Russia crisis fuel climate destruction". ABC News. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
- ^ "Umweltschützer kritisieren Lindners Tank-Rabatt". www.t-online.de (in German). Retrieved 2022-03-25.
- ^ Geman, Ben (2022-03-14). "The climate spillover of Russia's invasion of Ukraine". Axios. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
- ^ Illien, Noele (2022-03-07). "Switzerland joined in sanctions, but Russia's oil, metals and grains still trade there". The New York Times. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
Further reading
- Velázquez, Jaime (2022-03-22). "The climate crisis and the invasion of Ukraine 'have the same roots', says expert". Nature. euronews.green. Lyon, France: Euronews SA. Archived from the original on 2022-04-12. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
- Milman, Oliver (2022-03-09). "'This is a fossil fuel war': Ukraine's top climate scientist speaks out". Climate crisis. The Guardian. Guardian News & Media Limited. Archived from the original on 2022-04-19. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
- McGrath, Matt (2022-03-21). "Climate change: 'Madness' to turn to fossil fuels because of Ukraine war". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 2022-04-19. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
- Gill, Victoria (2022-03-03). "Unite against climate change – Ukraine scientist". Science. BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 2022-04-19. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
- Bokat-Lindell, Spencer (2022-03-16). "What the Ukraine War Means for the Future of Climate Change". Newsletter Debatable: Opinion. The New York Times. New York, USA. Archived from the original on 2022-04-19. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
- Schonhardt, Sara; Storrow, Benjamin (2022-03-16). "War in Ukraine and Climate Change Could Combine to Create a Food Crisis – Russia's invasion is halting the delivery of wheat to areas suffering from drought and other climate impacts". E&E News: Climate Change. Scientific American. Springer Nature America, Inc. Archived from the original on 2022-04-18. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
- Lazard, Olivia (2022-03-04). "Russia's Ukraine Invasion and Climate Change Go Hand in Hand". Carnegie Europe. Brussels, Belgium. Archived from the original on 2022-04-19. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
- Fluchs, Sarah (2022-03-04). "Ukraine: Wie Kriege die Umwelt schädigen" [Ukraine: How wars damage the environment]. IW-Newsletter (in German). Cologne, Germany: Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft Köln e.V. Archived from the original on 2022-04-19. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
- Beer, Joshua (2022-03-29). "Wie der Krieg der Umwelt schadet" [How the war damages the environment]. Ukraine. Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Munich, Germany: Süddeutsche Zeitung GmbH. Archived from the original on 2022-04-19. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
- Maier, Lucas (2022-04-21) [2022-04-20]. "Verseuchte Gebiete in der Ukraine: Russland attackiert auch die Natur" [Contaminated areas in Ukraine: Russia is also attacking nature]. Politik. Frankfurter Rundschau (in German). Frankfurt am Main, Germany: Frankfurter Rundschau GmbH. Archived from the original on 2022-04-19. Retrieved 2022-04-19.