Russia-Ukraine war leaves appalling environmental impact, damage totals $56 billion

November 6 is the International Day for the Prevention of Environmental Exploitation in War and Armed Conflict. According to the Ukrainian prosecutor-general, the environmental damage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine totals roughly $56 billion, with destruction of the Kakhovka Dam as one of the worst disasters.

The catastrophe happened on June 6 when explosions tore through the colossal Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric dam in southern Ukraine — draining one of the Continent’s largest artificial reservoirs.

Several explosions have also contaminated water sources, leaving toxic substances that can cause various forms of cancer. After every explosion, particles of toxic substances; such as lead, mercury and depleted uranium; are released into air, water, and soils.

Fights in heavily industrialised areas lead to technological disasters, such as spills of tailings and fuel, that poison vast territories not only in Ukraine, but also in Europe and Russia. Destroyed buildings release carcinogenic dust for decades.

Heavy metals and chemicals penetrate underground waters and poison water sources, killing all life in rivers and water bodies. Destruction of civil infrastructure has already left more than 4 million people without access to pure drinking water. Soils in areas of military conflict are no longer fit for agriculture, because plants draw up and accumulate the pollutants.

War also increases the risk of nuclear accidents. Power shortages at nuclear plants and fights in vicinity of stations may result in disasters like in Chernobyl or Fukushima. Military emissions of CO2 reach hundreds of million tonnes and undermine the goals of the Paris Agreement.

More than 12,000 square kilometres (4,600 sq mi) of Ukraine’s nature reserves have become a war zone. Populations of rare endemic and migrant species suffered great losses, birds were forced to abandon nests and change their usual migration routes. The efforts of decades-long conservation projects were ruined.

Estimating the total environmental damage inflicted by the war is not possible until it ends. According to preliminary data, it will take Ukraine’s nature at least 15 years to recover from the current “Ecocide”.