One of the major casualties of the war between Ukraine and Russia is the area of conflict itself. Experts say Ukraine is experiencing an ecocide — essentially the destruction of the environment by humans — and the country is looking to take legal action against Russia for it.
A crime against climate
The war in Ukraine "may end, but damage from artillery shells, mines, drones and missiles will endure for decades, experts say, degrading industries like farming and mining, introducing health risks and eroding natural beauty," said The New York Times. "The extent of contamination and damage can only be estimated in many areas, as it is extremely difficult to collect data," said Oleksii Vasyliuk, the head of the Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group, to Deutsche Welle (DW). Many have deemed the destruction an ecocide, claiming the damages are deliberate.
The environmental damages are many, from increasing the level of emissions to destroying the soil and, by proxy, the agriculture. One of the largest damages happened in June 2023 when the Kakhovka Dam was blown up. The break "unleashed a deluge down the Dnipro River, sending toxic sediments and trillions of gallons of fresh water into the salty Black Sea, and wrecking coastal ecosystems during a peak reproductive period for marine organisms," said the Times. The country also experienced substantial wildfires as a result of the war. "The area burned over the last 12 months was more than double the annual average from the previous two years, increasing to 92,100 hectares," said Euronews. The damages not only affect Ukraine but can contribute to climate change globally.
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No justice, no trees
Ukraine is attempting to seek justice through the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the ecological damages. "Ecocide is an accusation that Ukraine takes extremely seriously: While the term is yet to be recognized under international law, the deliberate destruction of wildlife and natural resources is a criminal offense in Ukraine," said Forbes. The "country's environmental authorities have recorded more than 5,000 cases of destruction to Ukraine's forests, soils, air and water directly connected to the Russian invasion," said DW.
Many are fighting to make ecocide a crime internationally, seeking to use Russia as an example. Successfully prosecuting Russia for environmental crimes will set a precedent and can "create conditions to prevent the use of methods and means of warfare that can destroy nature with impunity," said Vasyliuk. However, "the real impact it would have and whether reparations would ever be paid out is uncertain," said DW. "Russia is not party to the Rome Statute that established the ICC and does not recognize its jurisdiction."
Whether or not Russia will continue to contribute to ecocide remains to be seen, especially under the new Trump administration. "Ukraine wants environmental protections included in any peace agreement, but the Trump administration's friendlier ties with Moscow leave Kyiv little leverage," said the Times. "The environment should no longer remain a silent victim of war," Ruslan Strilets, Ukraine's Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, said to DW. "Humanity must understand that war is expensive. Every state must understand that war is expensive. Destroying the environment is expensive."
