Latest wave of russian aggression causes increasing environmental damage with continent-wide consequences: Svitlana Grynchuk

The latest wave of russian aggression is causing escalating environmental damage with repercussions for the entire continent. This was highlighted by Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Svitlana Grynchuk during her online speech at the OSCE Conference on Climate and Security.

“Since 1 June this year alone, russia has launched nearly 2,500 aerial targets at Ukraine – drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. Each nightly attack by russia results in, at the very least, a sharp increase in air pollution. A single missile explosion generates 60 kg of emissions,” Svitlana Grynchuk stressed.

Key points from Svitlana Grynchuk’s speech:

• Ten days of shelling in Odesa resulted in over 344 tonnes of harmful substances released into the air, with damages costing USD 26,000. Just one night of attacks on Kyiv, from 9 to 10 June, caused 1,902 tonnes of emissions, equivalent to approximately USD 140,000 in damages.
• Other examples of russia’s June aggression include damage in Lutsk, a fire at an industrial facility in the Lviv region, a drone strike on an industrial site in the Sumy region, a fire at a vehicle depot and warehouses in Ternopil, fires in multi-apartment buildings and a children’s railway in Kharkiv region, attacks on a neuropsychiatric clinic, and the destruction of a wheat field in the Kherson region, among others.
• Over the first ten days of June, more than 82 cases of damage and destruction were recorded. Every day in Ukraine, vehicles, critical infrastructure, commercial, and administrative buildings are burning. This is just one piece of the broader picture.
• Since the start of the full-scale invasion, over 8,000 cases of environmental damage have been documented, with total losses to nature from hostilities in Ukraine exceeding USD 94 billion.
• Pollution extends far beyond Ukraine’s borders. This war is having a devastating impact on the climate system and ecosystems across the entire continent. Each day of the war moves us further from a climate-neutral, “green” future. Greenhouse gas emissions over the three years of the full-scale invasion have already surpassed 230 million tonnes of CO₂. A year of war in Ukraine equates to the annual emissions of a country like Belgium.
• Various types of weapons, unprecedented in previous wars, are being used, each leaving its mark. The longer this war continues, and the more missiles and drones target our cities, the greater the impact.

“We cannot wait for the end of hostilities to begin post-war environmental restoration. The world is rapidly changing, but there is an urgent need for unity around environmental issues. Only together can we build sustainable development and our green future,” Svitlana Grynchuk concluded.