A large-scale fire broke out in the Danube Biosphere Reserve on 27 September following a Russian strike. The fire engulfed around 146 hectares of unique ecosystems — woodland and reed beds.
This was reported on 12 October by the State Environmental Inspectorate of the South-Western District, which has completed its assessment of the damage caused by this disaster.
The value of the nature reserve and its implications
The Danube Nature Reserve is a unique ecosystem that fulfils several important ecological roles. In addition to the obvious ones, such as providing a habitat for hundreds of animal species, including birds and fish, this natural complex absorbs and stores carbon dioxide, and also acts as a natural water filter.
The fires, which engulfed a vast area of woodland and floodplains, led to widespread air pollution. According to calculations by the State Energy Inspectorate, almost 105,000 tonnes of combustion products were released into the atmosphere, of which over 104,000 tonnes were carbon dioxide.
The total losses resulting from this fire amounted to over 538.9 million hryvnias.
"All the materials have been forwarded to the Operational Headquarters of the State Environmental Inspectorate of Ukraine to compile a single register of environmental damage caused by the armed aggression," the environmental inspectors reported.
This is not the first fire in this nature reserve caused by an enemy attack. In August alone, over 1,000 hectares of the ecosystem were affected by the fire. The damage to the environment amounted to 14.8 billion hryvnias.
Wildfires in ecosystems are one of the greatest environmental disasters to have plagued Ukraine this year. In its report, EcoPolitic covered the large-scale fires across every corner of Ukraine — from the northern border regions to the Carpathian forests.
We would also like to remind you of the fines that will be imposed for setting fire to dry vegetation. This is particularly relevant as the autumn harvest season begins in fields and vegetable gardens. You can find out about the amounts of financial compensation for environmental damage via this link.
