Occupiers cause damage to Ukrainian environment worth over €52B - Ministry of Environment

Russia's full-scale war caused more than EUR 52 billion in damage to the Ukrainian environment. There are still environmental losses that cannot be estimated in monetary terms.

According to Ukrinform, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Ruslan Strilets emphasized this during a conversation with EU environment ministers, Ukraine’s Ministry of Environment reports.

"Unfortunately, there are things we will never restore. These are the ecosystems that were washed away into the Black Sea after the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant explosion. These are 20,000 animals that potentially died. These are endemic species that were found only in the South of Ukraine. These are losses that cannot be estimated in monetary terms," Strilets said.

In his words, together with partner countries, Ukraine has developed unique methodologies for assessing environmental losses. For over a year of Russia's war, losses have already exceeded EUR 52 billion.

Strilets invited his ministerial colleagues to visit Ukraine so that they could see with their own eyes what Russia's war leads to and "understand what Russia is".

As reported, the full-scale invasion of Ukraine has already generated approximately 10-12 million tonnes of garbage. The final figure will be known only after the de-occupation of all territories.