The scale of all the damage caused by the war to the environment today is difficult to calculate due to the inability to collect all the data. This was stated yesterday by Ruslan Strilets, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, at the first meeting of the International Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of War, headed by Andriy Yermak, Head of the Presidential Office, and Margot Wallström, former Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Sweden.

"The blasting of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant by russians is a planned terrorist act. It fully fits the definition of ecocide. It is important that this term is clearly defined in the Rome Statute. Not only Ukraine needs it, the entire civilised world needs it, so that no country will ever intend to destroy the environment in such a brazen manner," said Ruslan Strilets.

The Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources expressed confidence that the International Environmental Group will develop a comprehensive document that will help assess the environmental impact of the war. It will also develop recommendations for finding mechanisms to bring the aggressor to justice for environmental crimes and the concept of environmental restoration.

"Today, the Government is taking unprecedented steps to ensure that people who have suffered losses due to the war can receive help. Nature is a silent victim of this war. It cannot report to Diia that its home has been destroyed. That is why we must do our best to make russia pay for its ecocide," said Ruslan Strilets.

STATEMENT of the High-Level Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of the War