Russian invaders in the occupied Ukrainian territories, in addition to grain, also stole timber, cutting down forests.
They use cut trees both to strengthen their position and for commercial purposes, Babel reports, citing The Wall Street Journal.
WSJ released images from the Maxar aerospace company of the Tauride Forest in the Kherson region a month after the invasion and as of January 2023.
The State Forest Resources Agency said that illegal logging was found in Kharkiv, Sumy and Kyiv regions, as well as in the south of the country. Most of all, oaks, pines, hornbeams and ash were cut down.
Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Anna Malyar said that since the beginning of the occupation, Russian enterprises have organized logging in Zaporozhye, Kherson and other temporarily occupied regions of Ukraine.
“Entrepreneurs are carrying out uncontrolled barbaric cutting of forest plantations, which, if it is extended, will inevitably lead to catastrophic consequences for the environment,” she said.
Malyar added that most of the forests in this region are of artificial origin and were specially created to protect against wind, soil and water erosion.
Earlier, EcoPolitic wrote, that Russian troops began building a defense line on the left-bank part of the Kherson region, where a number of reserves, natural monuments and unique ecosystems are located, in particular psamophytic (sandy) steppes. Digging trenches, possible artillery shelling, cutting rare trees for firewood and fortification can destroy the nature of Kherson.
