Russia's invasion has had a catastrophic environmental impact. Four years of fighting and hostile attacks have led to forest fires, environmental poisoning, loss of biodiversity, and sea pollution. The damage from documented environmental crimes since February 24, 2022, has reached a staggering amount of nearly UAH 6.4 trillion.
EcoPolitic has prepared an overview of the crimes affecting Ukrainian nature, flora, and fauna.
General statistics
According to calculations by the State Environmental Inspection, the amount of confirmed damage to the Ukrainian environment as of February 20 is as follows:
- UAH 1.32 trillion due to land contamination, and an additional UAH 22.3 billion for soil pollution;
- UAH 962.1 billion due to forest fires;
- UAH 177.7 billion from petroleum product burning;
- UAH 275.7 billion resulting from damage to 28,500 ha of vegetated areas.
“We document every fact of ecocide to ensure the inevitability of the aggressor's accountability and the restoration of our state's natural resources,” – emphasized the State Environmental Inspectorate.
Source: State Environmental Inspectorate
Destruction of forests
The number of destroyed and damaged plants is estimated at 82.8 million. This has already caused damage to the environment amounting to UAH 1.04 trillion.
According to estimates by the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture, approximately 3 million hectares of Ukraine's forests have been damaged, and the state has lost 20% of its forest fund. In particular, as of November 2025, 1 million hectares of forested areas were under temporary Russian occupation, and another 100,000 hectares were in the combat zone. Approximately 500,000 hectares were mined or contaminated with explosive objects.
In 2025, the area of forest fires in Ukraine amounted to 5,500 hectares. More than 70% of the territories affected by the natural disaster were located in the frontline Donetsk and Kharkiv regions.
Occupied and destroyed nature reserve areas
Due to Russian aggression, more than 800 protected sites in Ukraine have been affected, which is about 20% of all the nation’s conservation areas. At risk of destruction are 160 sites of the Emerald Network with an area of 2.9 million ha.
The area of marine reserves alone under enemy occupation exceeds 270,000 ha. Another 460,000 ha of aquatic protected areas remain under Ukraine’s control, but all are suffering the destructive effects of Russian aggression. For example, oil slicks are continually recorded in the Danube Biosphere Reserve, and after a Russian attack on a port in the Odesa region, oil contamination covered the shores of the Tuzlivski Limany National Park.
Dead animals
Due to the war, according to the State Ecological Inspectorate (SEI), more than 75,000 representatives of the animal world have died. According to estimates, over 80 species of animals in Ukraine are on the verge of extinction.
The number of domestic animals killed is absolutely colossal. According to the former Ministry of Agrarian Policy, as of mid-2022, there were reports of over 6 million animals lost. Of these, 5.7 million were domestic birds, 258,000 pigs, 92,000 cattle, and 42,000 sheep and goats.
The exact number of killed and affected pets is unknown. However, it is a fact that frontline shelters are overcrowded and several organizations are evacuating cats and dogs in emergency mode.
Sea contamination
Due to hostilities, oil spills, attacks on infrastructure, and the use of the continental shelf for military purposes, the Black Sea ecosystem is suffering.
In just the first six months of 2023, 50,000 dolphins have died as a result of the war-people have been finding their bodies washed ashore in large numbers.
An additional danger is methane leakage, which could render the Black Sea dead. The Center of National Resistance reported that the number of sources releasing this gas increased to 950. According to experts, the reason for this is drilling of the continental shelf conducted by the enemy in Sevastopol Bay, the Kerch Strait, and at Cape Fiolent.
