Skip to main content

Ukraine to seek damages from Russia over huge environmental harm

A view shows burning trees and a road covered in heavy smoke in the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (photo credit: STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE OF UKRAINE IN KIEV REGION/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)
A view shows burning trees and a road covered in heavy smoke in the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant
(photo credit: STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE OF UKRAINE IN KIEV REGION/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)

Kyiv has recorded 1,500 cases of the destruction of ecosystems or contamination of land.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has caused huge environmental damage for which Kyiv will seek compensation in international courts, Ukraine's environment minister said on Thursday.

Ruslan Strilets, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, said the war had destroyed ecosystems, deprived wildlife of its natural habitat and contaminated land in one of the world's main grain producers.

"Over the past 20 years, this is the first military conflict in the world that has caused such large-scale environmental damage," he told a news conference.


"Russian missiles hit our oil depots, thermal power plants, chemical plants - this definitely affects the environment. Forests are burning, valuable protected things are being destroyed."

Fighting near the defunct Chornobyl atomic power station, scene of the world's worst nuclear accident in 1986, had caused fires over almost 12,000 hectares of land, killing flora and fauna in a unique environment, Strilets said. A satellite image shows an overview of Chernobyl, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine, March 10, 2022.  (credit: Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS )A satellite image shows an overview of Chernobyl, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine, March 10, 2022. (credit: Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS )

Kyiv has recorded 1,500 cases of the destruction of ecosystems or contamination of land, he added.

"There are areas such as wetlands that are being destroyed as the occupier's equipment goes over them. These are ecosystems that have been forming for hundreds of years and we are really losing them," he said.


He also said Ukraine had suffered more than 2.5 billion hryvnia ($85 million) in financial losses in the Chornobyl exclusion zone but did not estimate the overall environmental damage from the war.

"Our goal is to compensate as much as possible for the losses that Russia is inflicting on Ukraine ... All damages will go to international courts," he said, without identifying the courts.


Russia did not immediately comment on Strilets' remarks. It says its "special operation" is intended to demilitarize Ukraine and root out dangerous nationalists. The West and Kyiv call that a false pretext to invade.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Dr. Vladimir Zelenko has now treated 699 coronavirus patients with 100% success

ORIGIN OF THE AKAN - Onyeji Nnaji

Taylor Swift: 'White supremacy is repulsive. There is nothing worse'

GARDEN OF EDEN FOUND IN WEST AFRICA - Onyeji Nnaji

TYPES OF PREPOSITION - Onyeji Nnaji

Tulsi Gabbard says impeachment of Trump would be 'terribly divisive' for country

THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF NSUKKA by Onyeji Nnaji

Marine Charged for Facebook Comments Gets Hearing Date

EGYPTIANS LAMBAST NIGERIAN FOOTBALLERS OVER ‘FREQUENT’ PROTESTS