The occupiers turned the protected island of the Kherson region into a military base

The occupiers turned the protected island of the Kherson region into a military base
Katerina Belousova

Dzharylgatka Bay with an island is one of the 22 most important and unique wetlands on the planet

In the occupied Kherson region, the Russians set up a military training ground in the Dzharilgatsky National Park on the island of the same name.

They also connected the island to the mainland, which could lead to the degradation of the entire bay's ecosystems, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources said on Facebook.

The press service said that in this way the enemies increased the use of the protected area for military purposes. In particular, a sand embankment was built near the village of Lazurne.

It is noted that closing the ravine will lead to:

  • siltation and degradation of ecosystems of the entire bay;
  • disruption of fish migration processes, which, in particular, feed on wetland birds.

"Such actions of the occupiers are a direct crime against nature, for which they will definitely pay," the message emphasized.

The press service said that the Dzharylgat Bay with the island is one of the 22 most important and unique wetlands on the planet protected by the Ramsar Convention. It is also home to bottlenose dolphins and white-sided dolphins.

The message added that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the war has damaged about 900 objects of the nature reserve fund with an area of more than 1 million hectares. That is, 20% of the area of all nature reserves of Ukraine.

Earlier, EcoPolitic wrote, that on the Kinburn spit, located in the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions, the occupiers completely burned about 8 thousand hectares of protected land.

As EcoPolitic previously reported, the Russian occupiers built a military training ground in Arabatska Strilka (Genichesky district, Kherson region), where red-listed birds are shot as part of "training".

Related
Weekly roundup of environmental crimes: deforestation, water and air pollution, and land disputes
Weekly roundup of environmental crimes: deforestation, water and air pollution, and land disputes

The "stars" of the week are foresters from the Odesa region who used intimidation to force forest workers to illegally cut down and sell trees

A 2,400-hectare forest fire is raging along the northern border with Russia. Firefighting efforts are impossible due to shelling.
A 2,400-hectare forest fire is raging along the northern border with Russia. Firefighting efforts are impossible due to shelling.

Forestry equipment must operate under electronic warfare cover to avoid being struck by enemy drones

Illegal profits from waste, poaching, and deforestation: a roundup of environmental crimes
Illegal profits from waste, poaching, and deforestation: a roundup of environmental crimes

In Bukovina, in particular, a large-scale scheme involving the export of unaccounted-for timber was uncovered following 26 searches