From air and water pollution to the disappearance of some species of plants and animals – KNDISE experts on the main consequences of environmental crimes in the Russian Federation

All environmental crimes committed by Russia on the territory of Ukraine during the full-scale invasion are carefully documented in order to later receive a proper evaluation in international courts.

What is the current stage of the investigation into the undermining of the Kakhovskaya HPP by the Russians, how the environmental situation in Ukraine will be affected by the pollution of the Seim River by the Russians, as well as other water bodies, soils, the destruction of natural ecosystems and biodiversity – experts of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise told about this in a comment UNN.

According to experts, since the beginning of the full-scale Russian military invasion of the territory of Ukraine, numerous facts of the enemy’s deliberate anthropogenic impact on ecology and the environment have been recorded. In this context, engineering and environmental expertise is one of the key tools in the process of bringing the perpetrators to justice and analyzing the scale of the impact of war events on the environment.

Experts add that every fire caused by rocket fire, destruction of flora and fauna, pollution of water bodies has long-term consequences. We are talking about irreversible changes in ecosystems, soil degradation, the disappearance of certain species of plants and animals, as well as air and water pollution, which affects people’s health and the overall sustainability of the natural environment.

We have in our work an eloquent example of the Russian troops undermining the Kakhovskaya HPP. The flooding of large areas and the pollution of water resources were only the immediate consequences of this large-scale ecological disaster. An expert commission is still working on this case, which must analyze thousands of indicators collected by pre-trial investigation bodies. We do not have the right to speak in general terms, but must appeal only to facts and a reliable evidence base, which will become the basis of international trials. A similar story takes place in terms of the facts and consequences of rocket attacks, fires and other consequences caused by them. That is, each case of an environmental crime by the enemy must be properly assessed and analyzed so that Ukraine can ultimately bring the perpetrators to justice

The organic pollution of the Seim River, caused by deliberate actions of the Russian Federation, remains a topical issue for citizens. It led to a decrease in the level of oxygen in the water, which caused a mass death of fish. Experts note that they have not yet received relevant research and expertise, however, the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise is actively involved in all such research, in particular thanks to its modern laboratories, which have a full range of research and capacity for operational and systematic analysis of environmental threats.

“Since February 2022, the experts of the Institute have conducted more than 300 studies of water and soil samples. In one examination, up to several dozen of the specified samples are analyzed. Such studies include several stages that allow assessing the state of water and soil, detecting pollution, establishing possible consequences for the environment and the health of Ukrainians. If necessary, other analyzes are carried out: physico-chemical, biological, toxicological, radiological – these aspects allow us to establish the ecological state in which we live,” noted KNDISE experts.

We will remind

The discharge of sewage from a sugar factory in the city of Tyotkino in the Russian Federation caused the pollution of the Seim River, which flows into the Desna, with organic substances, which led to the mass death of fish.

Due to biological contamination of water in the Seimas and Desna, the State Inspectorate reported the catch of 17 tons of dead fish and estimated the damage at over UAH 200 million.

And on September 9, the spot of pollution in the Desna River had already reached Chernihiv, there was an unpleasant smell and a plague of fish.

According to ecologists, it now takes 2-3 years to restore the ecosystems of the Seim and Desna rivers.

According to the Ministry of Environment, polluted water from Desna could reach Kyiv region on September 14-16.

Desna pollution: the State Production and Consumer Service named the risks of harmful substances entering the water intake in Kyiv September 10, 2024, 16:24 • 101606 views