Ukraine assesses environmental damage caused in thousand days of full-scale Russian invasion

The cost of the environmental damage caused by the hostilities during the thousand days of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has been estimated at approximately US$71 billion. 

Source: Svitlana Hrynchuk, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29), which is taking place in Baku 

Details: An additional 180 million tonnes of carbon dioxide has been released into the atmosphere as a result of attacks and forest fires. 

Hrynchuk said that the hostilities and forest fires have decreased Ukrainian forests’ potential for greenhouse gas absorption by 1.7 million tonnes over the nearly three years of the full-scale invasion. 

In total, the war has already destroyed 3 million hectares of Ukraine’s forests. An area of 139,000 sq km – twice the size of Azerbaijan – has been contaminated by explosive ordnance. 

Hrynchuk stressed that Ukraine is actively working on recovery without waiting for the war to end. 

"To compensate for the forests lost as a result of forest fires, Ukrainians have planted 555 million trees covering an area of more than 75,000 hectares. And with the help of our partners, 35,000 sq km of land has already been demined," Hrynchuk added.

Background: Last weekend, Russia once again attacked Ukraine's energy system, launching more than 200 missiles and drones.

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