From the first day, it was obvious to those of us who work with environmental issues that the war would cause enormous damage, says Sofia Sadogurska, an expert in the climate department at Ecoaction.
Work to document the war's damage to the environment and climate has been ongoing since February 2022 and includes more than 2,500 cases. Some are extensive, such as the explosion of the Kakhovka Dam in June 2023, while others are smaller.
Before Russia's full-scale invasion, there were no initiatives in the world that specifically and systematically calculated and analysed the climate damage caused by conflicts, says Vasylyna Belo, who heads the climate department.
The database, which is currently used by both journalists and decision-makers, is also intended to serve as evidence in a future ecocide case against Russia at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Contaminated agricultural land
All documented cases are collected on an interactive map. The greatest damage is in the areas closest to the front.
But the environmental consequences are not limited to those regions. Almost all regions of Ukraine are vulnerable, as Russia attacks power plants, energy facilities, farms and agricultural land, explains Sofia Sadogurska.
Agricultural land in the south and east of the country has been severely affected by the war. Both soil and water are contaminated and simply working in the fields is dangerous.
There are amazing pictures of Ukrainian farmers trying to plow their land despite rocket fire and fires. In Kherson, farmers have been prepared to take care of mine clearance themselves.
But national parks and nature reserves have also been damaged, and nesting sites for migratory birds have been destroyed. Sofia Sadogurska notes that there are areas that will not recover and that species are threatened with extinction. The explosion of the Kakhovka Dam had an enormous environmental impact.
Many areas were flooded, some of them protected areas, and it affected both plant and animal life around the Black Sea.
Ukrainian experts have helped produce an updated European Red List for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which for the first time lists military activity as a factor contributing to species endangerment.
For example, nearly 70 percent of the world's population of the small bush mouse Sicista loriger is believed to have disappeared when the Kakhovka Dam was blown up and its habitat destroyed. It is now classified as critically endangered, as are its squirrel relatives the dwarf shrew and the pearl shrew.
At the same time, there is hope even where the destruction has been greatest, proof of how nature can recover, says Sofia Sadogurska.
Today, a forest is growing at the bottom of the pond and the trees are already two or three metres tall. It's amazing.
France's annual emissions
According to Ecoaction statistics, Russia's invasion has so far caused more than 311 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, a figure equivalent to France's total annual emissions. The largest share comes from the war machine itself, followed by fires and the future reconstruction of destroyed infrastructure.
The collection is managed by volunteers. More people have started to get involved in the environment and climate since the war started. Vasylyna Belo says that there are active organisations just a few miles from the front.
We feel that environmental issues are part of everyday life and are important to many. People still care about what they drink, breathe and how they grow their food.
You can only guess why someone, despite the war, still chooses to get involved. I think it's a longing to create something good around them. You want to create a place that feels more like a home, that feels safer, better and calmer.
Environmental issues have also begun to be raised by local politicians.
Strategically, it involves measures to use renewable energy sources, energy efficiency or various projects for adapting to climate change. But it also acts as a tool to get people to stay in their city, instead of moving somewhere else.
Russian attacks on electricity and heating supplies have prompted many in Ukraine to turn their attention to renewable energy sources. Vasylyna Belo emphasizes that the world's dependence on fossil fuels is not only harmful to the climate but also contributes to Russia's ability to continue its war.
We call it a war over fossil fuels because Russia extracts fossil fuels, exports them, and makes a lot of money from it. And that money goes to the war.
Ecoaction is a member-based organization in Ukraine, founded in 2017.
It is one of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation's partner organizations.
Since the war broke out in February 2022, the organization has documented the consequences for the environment and climate.
In addition, the organization focuses on engaging and working with local people on issues such as energy, climate change, transportation and agriculture.
