russian army seizes Askania-Nova Reserve’s animal husbandry institute

The police have opened criminal proceedings regarding the Askania-Nova Institute of Animal Husbandry seizure by the russian military on the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson region.

The National Police of Ukraine reports.

It became known during the monitoring of Internet resources that the russian military seized the Askania-Nova Institute of Animal Husbandry of the Steppe Regions in the village of Askania-Nova.

"The institute is a powerful scientific research center in the south of Ukraine for the problems of animal husbandry, where new highly productive breeds of farm animals have been bred for centuries. Now the russians have invaded, whose goal is to loot the institute and enrich themselves at the expense of the achievements of scientists and researchers. Most scientific workers are unwilling to cooperate with the occupiers; no one volunteered," the statement reads.

The post stated that the so-called "military-civilian administration," with the support of the russian military and representatives of their security forces, seized the scientific research institution – the Askania-Nova biosphere reserve, located in the Kakhovska district.

At the administrative building of the institute, the russians hung the russian flag. They introduced the so-called new "director of the enterprise," who previously worked at the Kherson customs office. At one time, his father worked as the deputy director of the same institute. Currently, the russian authorities are encouraging the institution's employees to cooperate. Only the guards and some scientists have volunteered for this.

The police opened criminal proceedings under Part 1 of Article 438 (Violation of laws and customs of war) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The sanction of the article provides imprisonment for a term of 8 to 12 years.

Reference

Askania-Nova is the biosphere reserve of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, located in the Kherson region, near the urban-type settlement of the same name, 60 km southeast of Kakhovka. Askania-Nova is recognized as one of the seven natural wonders of Ukraine and one of the world's most famous reserves and parks.

Askania-Nova is one of the oldest biosphere reserves on the planet and the most extensive European protected steppe territory. Local ecosystems have more than 500 species of higher plants and more than 3,000 species of animals. In 1984, UNESCO added Askania to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR).

Askania-Nova differs from other reserves in that its territory, in addition to local, indigenous, steppe species of wildlife, is well accustomed to many rare animals from Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and America. 

Askania-Nova Institute of Animal Husbandry has been a research institution since 1909, studying the zootechnical method of artificial insemination of animals.

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