The war of Russia against Ukraine, which has already claimed thousands of lives, has also negatively affected the environment, thereby threatening the epidemiological situation in the country.
This was stated on the official Twitter account of the US Embassy in Ukraine.
"Russia’s senseless war on Ukraine has not only led to the deaths of thousands of Ukrainians and displaced millions more, but also led to environmental impact that continues to threaten the health and lives of all those who remain" the embassy said in a statement.
As representatives of the US Embassy noted, debris produced by the shelling of buildings can poison the air, creating gases that burn skin, damage organs.
What's more, chemicals released from damaged facilities and critical infrastructure can leak into the ground, poisoning the soil and plants that many rely on for food.
Meanwhile, damage to water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure could lead to an outbreak of viral infectious diseases such as typhoid, cholera, dysentery and polio.
The embassy noted that Russia’s reckless attacks not only endanger the lives of civilians, but they also risk poisoning Ukraine’s air, land, and water long into the future.
“On Earth Day, and every day, we #StandwithUkraine,” the embassy expressed their support.
Russia’s senseless war on Ukraine has not only led to the deaths of thousands of Ukrainians and displaced millions more, but also led to environmental impact that continues to threaten the health and lives of all those who remain. 1/4
(AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) pic.twitter.com/pcRh1Kbjjr— U.S. Embassy Kyiv (@USEmbassyKyiv) April 22, 2022
Before EcoPolitics wrote that on February 24, 2021, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky noted the importance environmental protection as an indispensable guarantee of the health of citizens.
"Environmental protection is concrete steps to reduce illness and death and improve the living conditions of each of us," the head of state said at the time.
