Russia’s full-scale aggression in Ukraine costs $70 bln in environmental damage – ecology minister

Russia's full-scale aggression has caused immense damage to Ukraine's environment, estimated at over $70 billion. More than 3 million hectares of forests have been destroyed, and over 6,500 environmental crimes have been documented. Additionally, an alarming 180 million tons of CO₂ have been released.

The Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, Svitlana Hrynchuk, stated this in an interview with Forbes.

According to her, since the beginning of the full-scale war, 3 million hectares of Ukrainian forests have been destroyed, and almost a third of the country's territory is covered in mines.

Currently, the Ministry of Environment estimates the war's environmental losses at approximately $70 billion—and this is probably the "tip of the iceberg."

"Including the loss of natural resources, this figure could be much, much higher," Hrynchuk noted.

In addition, as the minister said, Russia has committed over 6,500 crimes against the environment.

The war has now led to over 180 million tons of CO₂ equivalent emissions. The displacement of over 6 million Ukrainian citizens to other countries has resulted in additional emissions of 3.3 million tons of CO2.

Hrynchuk emphasized that Ukraine remains committed to holding Russia accountable for all environmental offenses. She stated that the Russian Federation is currently portrayed as a destructive force to dominate both Ukraine and the environment.

For reference:

As of November 2024, Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office has initiated 222 criminal cases related to Russian war crimes impacting the environment. Of these, 14 have been classified as ecocide.  

The estimated environmental damage exceeds three trillion hryvnias (about $71,665,500,000), according to the State Ecological Inspectorate of Ukraine. These figures represent documented losses and remain approximate. At the start of 2024, the estimated damage was significantly lower— UAH 2.2 trillion compared to UAH 3.1 trillion.

Rubryka discusses the most destructive cases of environmental damage caused by the war in Ukraine in 2024 and what actions should be taken to address these consequences.