Svetlana Grinchuk reported massive losses and 6,500 instances of ecosystem destruction, highlighting the staggering scale of ecological damage caused by the war.
The head of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine reported this on her Facebook page.
"Over €65 billion in losses and nearly 6,500 instances of ecosystem destruction – these are the scales of environmental losses that our environmentalists and experts have been able to calculate so far. However, the actual damage inflicted on the environment by the war is significantly greater. The destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station, pollution of the Black Sea, and wildfires in forests due to military actions – all of this could have irreversible consequences for nature.
She also noted that, together with her team, they had the opportunity to convey important information to international partners.
"During a joint briefing, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine was able to discuss the impact of Russian aggression on Ukraine's environment. Alongside the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Deputy Chair of the Eco-Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Elena Kryvoruchkina, the coordinator of the United Nations system in Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, the head of the UNEP office in Ukraine, Pierre-Carlo Sandei, ambassadors, and representatives of international organizations, we discussed further steps for environmental preservation. In their speeches, representatives of the UN Environment Programme and the UN emphasized the importance of protecting the environment in Ukraine's strategic development processes and supporting our green recovery. The world has been battling climate change for many years, striving for good water quality and the conservation of natural ecosystems. The methods of warfare employed by Russia undermine years of work in this direction. While hundreds of organizations work towards this goal, the Russian aggressor is pushing humanity away from it,” said Svitlana Grinchuk.
The head of the ministry urged everyone to unite around Point 8 of the Peace Formula proposed by Volodymyr Zelensky and to create a concrete action plan in this regard. Currently, the assessment of losses for reparations does not cover the situation in the occupied territories, and there is still much work ahead.
"I thank our international partners for all that we have already accomplished together – and for standing with us. We must hold the aggressor accountable and do everything possible to ensure that efforts to preserve the environment are not in vain," concluded Svitlana Grinchuk.