Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine radically changed the lives of Ukrainian environmental activists and forced them to pause their public activities. Many eco-activists disappeared and stopped their activities, including public ones. A large number of eco-leaders were forced to change their place of work, city and even country of residence in search of asylum.
EcoPolitic decided to find out whether ecoactivists have found themselves in a new reality and what they are now directing their efforts to.
Artem Prykhodko
Before the start of the full-scale war, Kharkiv eco-activist Artem Prykhodko organized the project "Clean Udy" to clean the river of garbage and "Trash Killer", as part of which a garbage collector was installed on the Udy River. He actively participated in the ecological life of the city, not just showing garbage problems, but offering solutions.
For example, he launched the Clean Here eco-experiment and installed a bin at 10 Georgiivska Street, where piles of garbage were constantly accumulating.
After the start of the full-scale war, Prykhodko directed his efforts to help elderly Kharkiv residents, people with disabilities, and families in difficult living conditions. For this purpose, he launched the targeted aid project "People from people". Later, the organization began to help the military as well.
Although Prykhodko has not left the environmental direction, most of his posts on Facebook are devoted to defenders of Ukraine, helping people and the terrible consequences of Russian aggression.
Despite this, the activist takes care of the systematic cleaning of the Trash Killer garbage collector. For example, in April 2022, during massive missile strikes on Kharkiv Oblast, his basket was cleared of 12 tons of garbage.
Also, in June 2022, Prykhodko drew the attention of the public, law enforcement officers, and local authorities to the environmental disaster in the village of Dokuchaevskoe, where the once picturesque, clean lake turned into a manure pit from the runoff from the collector. A number of enterprises are located near the lake.
Evgenia Aratovska
Yevgenia Aratovska is the founder and head of the public organization Ukraine without garbage, which is engaged in the reception and processing of garbage. UBS also spreads the culture of sorting household waste and ideas of social entrepreneurship in the industry.
After February 24, she organized a shop that sews plate carriers. However, Aratovska did not abandon the environmental direction and actively participated in the implementation of the garbage reform in Ukraine. She criticized the norms of draft law No. 2207-1-d "On waste management". Because of this, a scandal arose: Aratovska questioned the competence of reform experts, because of which one of the managers of the Ministry of Environment began to threaten her with a lawsuit.
After a forced pause, UBS resumed the work of the waste sorting station in Kyiv in May 2022. In addition, in June, the organization launched a charity auction of unique collages created from paper waste from the sorting station. Money was collected for volunteers rescuing people from hot spots. Among other initiatives, UBS participated in providing Ukrainian soldiers with warm clothes, which were knitted by craftsmen from unnecessary yarn.
Ivan Rusev
Ecologist, doctor of biological sciences, Ivan Rusev - head of the scientific research department of the national natural park "Tuzlivski lymany" in Odesa region. Before the full-scale invasion, he had systematically displayed the unique nature of the national park and talked about its environmental problems on his Facebook page.
From February 25, he began to keep an online diary of the war, where he highlighted its impact on nature.
"I am the voice of voiceless nature," he wrote in each post.
Thanks to his efforts, the whole world saw the consequences of the war for the dolphins of the Black Sea. Rusev published shocking photos of dead animals and explained that the reason for this was the activity of the enemy fleet and explosions of sea mines. He criticized Russian scientists who called diseases the cause of the mass death of dolphins.
In order to restore the population of dolphins, the employees of Tuzlivsky Lymany insist that after the war, a large marine reserve should be created on the basis of the national park, which should protect the dolphins. For this, scientists enlisted the support of the Ministry of Environment.
Rusev also continues to cover court cases regarding illegal constructions, and also writes about poaching and the mass death of birds from alleged poisoning by agrochemicals.
Yehor Firsov
Yehor Firsov is a former People's Deputy, ex-head of the State Inspectorate, founder and head of the NGO "Environmental Office".
On the eve of February 24, Firsov launched a large-scale "Life without garbage" campaign, in the framework of which he planned to make public the shadow life of the garbage mafia and force people's deputies to launch a garbage reform. However, with the beginning of the war, he joined the ranks of the territorial defense of Kyiv, and later went to the front line as a tactical medic.
On his Facebook page, he covered the consequences of the war, the occupation of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, the evacuation of people, including pets. He also recorded the intentions of the occupiers to cut down Ukrainian forests, etc. He periodically shared stories about rescued animals and talked about Russian war crimes.
He also wrote that defenders of Ukraine take care of the environment and even on the front lines try not to litter, some even sort garbage. During his service, Firsov took care of homeless local animals, reminded about the danger of burning leaves and dry grass. He also published photos of forests destroyed by the invaders.
Firsov wrote several texts about the realities of war and gave interviews for international publications, including Politico and The New York Times.
Tatyana Lampika
Tetyana Lampika is a well-known former head of the public organization "Ekopatrul" and a member of the Public Environmental Council under the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration. She specialized in matters of control over the work of the State Inspectorate, passing the EIA procedure, sorting household waste and environmental problems of the Dnipro.
After the start of the full-scale invasion, Lampika evacuated from Ukraine. She told on Facebook how Ukrainian refugees live abroad, published useful tips and necessary information for those who planned to receive asylum there.
Roman Shakhmatenko
Roman Shakhmatenko held the post of Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources from July 2020 to May 2022. He actively worked on the reform of environmental control, in particular, draft law No. 3091, which he actively promoted, managed to get to the first reading. He also lobbied for an increase in the amount of damages, etc.
After February 24, Shakhmatenko joined the ranks of the Terrodefense and identified military affairs as a priority for himself. At the same time, he is listed as one of the founders of this organization on the website of the Operational Headquarters for Fixing Ecocrimes under the State Environmental Inspection.
According to Shakhmatenko, in May 2022, he learned about his dismissal from the Ministry of Environment from the news. However, he announced plans to continue to engage in environmental reforms. However, there is currently no publicly available information about his activities in this direction.
Shakhmatenko participated in providing humanitarian aid to civilians and military personnel. In July 2022, he received thanks for his involvement in the production of anti-tank hedgehogs for Kyiv.
Rufat Raimov
Kyiv animal rights activist Rufat Raimov is the founder and head of the public organization Yapomoga. Before the full-scale invasion, Raimov managed to install 15 Yapomogabox machines in Kyiv, three in Khmelnytskyi region and one in Cherkasy. Yapomogabox turns plastic bottles into charitable contributions to support homeless animals, children with special needs, and senior citizens. In 2021, the Yapomoga project managed to process almost 20,000 tons of plastic.
At the start of the full-scale invasion, Raimov put the project on hold and directed all efforts to provide animal shelters with food and medicine, particularly in the hottest spots of Ukraine. Feed for animals was given even to the military, who are the first to enter the de-occupied territories.
Yapomogaboksi resumed its work only in September. Subsequently, Raimov launched a joint project in which 10 kopecks from each collected bottle are sent to help the Armed Forces and the same amount to the United24 program.
In November 2022, another missile attack on Kyiv destroyed a workshop with all plastic processing equipment, a sorting station, cars and prepared aid packages. Because of this, the project had to be put on hold again. Although its work was later resumed, the project still did not work at full capacity.
Roman Town Hall
In 2018, Kyiv eco-activist Roman Ratushny headed the Protect Protasiv Yar initiative, and in 2019 he created a public organization of the same name. He fought against the construction of Protasovoy Yar in the center of Kyiv with high-rise buildings. After numerous trials, the Kyiv City Council returned the 3.15-hectare plot of land in Protasovoy Yar to the status of green spaces.
After the start of the full-scale invasion, Ratushny joined the ranks of the Defense Forces of Ukraine and created the Protasiv Yar unit. He fought in Kyiv region, Sumy region, later in Kharkiv region. On June 9, 2022, Roman Ratushny died in the Izyum direction. He was posthumously awarded the Order "For Courage" III degree.
However, Town Hall's case was implemented. On July 14, 2022, the Kyiv City Council supported the decision to create a landscape reserve on both slopes of Protasovoy Yar.
The full-scale war became a real test for all Ukrainians. However, most of the country's eco-leaders, although they directed their efforts to victory, did not stop protecting the environment, or plan to return to this activity later.
People who really care about the present and future of Ukraine will always find a way to be useful not only "here and now", but also contribute to a sustainable future. After all, public activity is not a privilege of peaceful life, and in the realities of war it is extremely important to help defend the country, support people, animals and take care of the protection of nature.
