Russian aggression on the territory of Ukraine has caused unprecedented destruction of the natural environment, destruction of ecosystems, and large-scale pollution of the air, soil, and water resources. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the amount of damage caused to the environment has reached 6.01 trillion hryvnia, according to the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture, citing data from the State Environmental Inspection.
“These are the largest environmental losses recorded in Europe in modern history,” the Ministry of Economy emphasized.
According to the State Environmental Inspection’s estimates, the total amount of damage includes UAH 1.29 trillion in damage to soil, UAH 967 billion in damage to atmospheric air, UAH 117.8 billion in pollution and contamination of water resources, and UAH 3.63 trillion in destruction of nature reserve areas.
One of the most destructive incidents was the fires at oil depots, according to the State Environmental Inspection. For example, after a strike on an oil depot in the village of Kryachky in the Kyiv region, toxic emissions into the atmosphere reached more than 41,000 tons, and soil pollution exceeded permissible limits by 17 times. Similar incidents occurred in Chernihiv, Sumy region, Rubizhne, and Severodonetsk, where Russian missiles hit tanks containing ammonia and nitric acid, causing dangerous chemical emissions.
The destruction of hydraulic structures also has long-term consequences, the agency emphasized. The blowing up of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam in 2023 caused a large-scale ecological and hydrological collapse in southern Ukraine and the Black Sea region. Natural complexes were destroyed, hydrology was altered, and protected areas were affected. The destruction of the Oskil Reservoir dam had similar consequences, with 76% of the water volume lost and the aquatic ecosystem destroyed.
In total, 20% of Ukraine’s nature conservation areas were affected by the war, including 2.9 million hectares of the Emerald Network. Significant damage was done to the Kinburn Spit, Oleshky Sands, Kakhovka Reservoir, Lower Dnipro, dozens of Ramsar sites, and other valuable ecosystems. Several national parks and reserves remain under occupation, including Askania-Nova and the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve.
The State Environmental Inspection has highlighted problems with Ukrainian soils. Explosions, fires, and chemicals are changing their structure, reducing fertility, and causing heavy metals and toxic compounds to accumulate. The soil contains elevated levels of copper, lead, nickel, combustion products, sulfur and nitrogen compounds. This affects the quality of agricultural products, human health, and ecosystem restoration.
Ukraine is not the only country experiencing the environmental consequences of the war. There has been a documented cross-border impact: as a result of Russian strikes, approximately 3 million tons of harmful substances have been released into the atmosphere and spread across neighboring European countries. Large-scale fires—on oil products, critical infrastructure, and forests—have caused millions of additional tons of toxic emissions.
“At the end of 2024, the environmental damage from the full-scale war amounted to 2.78 trillion hryvnia, and today it already exceeds 6 trillion. Unfortunately, this figure continues to grow every day, as does the scale of destruction of Ukrainian nature. The environmental damage caused by Russia is measured not only in trillions of hryvnias — decades are needed to restore the destroyed ecosystems. And the scale of environmental destruction will go far beyond Ukraine,” said Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture Ihor Zubovych.
The Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture stated that UAH 6.01 trillion is only the confirmed losses in territories controlled by Ukraine. The final scale of environmental damage will be known after complete de-occupation and the possibility of conducting a full investigation.
