Consequences of the Ongoing War in Ukraine on the Environment

Abstract

In today's world, armed conflicts pose a growing threat not only to human society but also to the natural environment. The use of modern weaponry results in large-scale environmental crimes, as demonstrated by the war in Ukraine. This has driven the need for research focused on assessing the environmental consequences of military operations. The purpose of this research was to assess the environmental consequences of the war on soils, water resources and biodiversity. The focus of the study was the condition of Ukraine's natural environment in the context of ongoing military conflict. The methodological basis of the study is the dialectical principle of scientific knowledge and systematic analysis of environmental phenomena and processes. The study revealed significant losses of natural resources across Ukraine, particularly in regions experiencing ongoing hostilities. It quantified the extent of environmental damage and emphasized that these losses continue to escalate with each passing day of the war. The study found that full-scale hostilities have effectively halted all initiatives aimed at advancing the development of Ukraine’s ecological economy. The extent of damage to soil, water resources, and the loss of flora and fauna provides ample justification to describe the situation in Ukraine as a huge environmental disaster. This crisis, while rooted in the war, poses serious risks with potential negative impacts on the European region's environment. Possible options for the restoration of the natural environment and their implications for the development of human society are identified, in particular, green recovery based on local priority actions.