The Government provided updated information on environmental damage to Ukraine as a result of hostilities
The Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Svitlana Grynchuk presented updated information on environmental damage caused by the war. This happened during a meeting of the Council on Environmental Affairs of the EU member states, informs press service of the Ministry of Environmental Protection.
“Work in this direction continues 24/7 for the fourth year. Today we understand that the consequences of Russian armed aggression affect not only Ukraine, but also the entire continent. Damages already reach almost 85 billion euros. More than 8,000 cases of environmental damage as a result of hostilities have been recorded. More than 230 million tons of carbon have been released into the air. A quarter remains mined and contaminated with ammunition territory of Ukraine. 850 thousand hectares of forests are under occupation and in the combat zone.” Grynchuk said.
European Commissioner for Environment, Water Sustainability and Competitive Circular Economy Jessica Ruswell assured during the meeting that the European Union will continue to support Ukrainian initiatives to document environmental damage and the work of international courts in cases related to the destruction of the environment due to war. In addition, Ukraine can count on help in promoting European integration steps — in particular, one of the priorities of the negotiation process is the improvement of the environmental monitoring system.
EU ministers unanimously expressed their support and openness to cooperation in key environmental areas. Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Denmark, Croatia, Estonia, Italy, Spain, Austria and others are already closely cooperating with Ukraine. These states have already provided significant material, technical and expert support in the field of environmental protection and are ready to continue the implementation of current projects, as well as launch new initiatives.
“Today, no one has any doubts that Ukraine is fighting not only for its sovereignty, but also for freedom and democracy in the whole world. The European Union is one of our key partners in the fight against Russian armed aggression. Our partnerships have long-term goals and guidelines for sustainable development.” – summed up Svitlana Grynchuk.
Photo: mepr.gov.ua
