UWC Vice President’s study examines how Russia’s war destroys Ukraine’s ecosystem

Russia’s war against Ukraine is not only devastating the land and infrastructure but also wreaking havoc on ecosystems and cultural treasures, as highlighted in the scientific paper “The Silent Casualty: Environmental Consequences of the War in Ukraine”.

The study, authored by Nataliya Poshyvaylo-Towler, UWC Vice President for Southern and Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Türkiye, and Lebanon, in cooperation with activist and researcher Dr. Svitlana Iievlieva, was published in the 10th issue of the prominent Australian “The UTG Journal” under the United Tasmania Group (UTG) banner. 

This journal covers a wide array of topics related to environmental policy and conservation and serves as a platform for exchanging ideas and research.

Their research emphasizes that the “silent” environmental casualties of the war will continue to affect Ukraine long after the “visible wounds” of the conflict heal.

“Rivers once teeming with life, forests that served as natural sanctuaries, and cultural monuments that preserved stories of generations now reflect the consequences of Russia’s criminal war against Ukraine,” the paper says.

Ukraine is faced with an enormous task of recovery, and it is evident that the road ahead will be “long and challenging.”

“Global support is essential, both in tangible restoration efforts and in the recognition of Russia’s “ecocide” and “cultural genocide” as acts that demand accountability,” the paper reads.

The legal and moral precedents established today may help ensure that future conflicts do not easily destroy a nation’s natural and cultural heritage without consequences.

“The future of Ukraine’s environment and heritage lies in a shared commitment to preserving and restoring its history, nature, and identity,” the authors said.

The full text of the paper is available via this link.

Russia has committed over 7,000 environmental crimes in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war, according to data from Ukraine’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources.