Dear Friends!
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has been going on for four years. It began on February 24, 2022, and continues to this day. The war in Ukraine has been going on even longer, and its starting point can be traced back to the events on Kyiv’s Maidan Square in 2013-2014, when Ukrainians stood up for European values, including environmental values. For four years, the UWEC Work Group has been analyzing the impact of Russian hostilities on the environment, seeking solutions for green recovery, and reporting on the consequences of the war for the entire region. A brief overview of the years in a text dedicated to the anniversary of the full-scale invasion:
The war in Ukraine continues to cause new types of pollution. After another round of shelling of Odesa in January 2026, large amounts of sunflower oil spilled into the Black Sea. Today, that oil is drifting along the coast, leaving ecological disaster wherever it goes. Recent reports track clumps of oil as far as Tuzlovsky Liman National Park. Activists claim that thousands of birds have been affected.
UWEC Work Group experts Eugene Simonov and Oleksiy Vasyliuk describe how, in the short term, non-petroleum oil pollution can be just as dangerous as pollution from petroleum products. Although vegetable oil dissolves more quickly and is absorbed by the same bacteria, it nevertheless poses a serious threat to birds and other marine animals. Nations must develop rapid and clear response plans to prevent vegetable oil spills and reduce the impacts of spills on ecosystems.
A new pollution source is fiber optic threads, which are used as secure guidance for many first-person-view drones. Scientists are just beginning to study the impacts of large quantities of fiber optics on soil, water and ecosystems. The greatest danger may come from the decomposition byproducts of polymers. Videos of Ukrainian fields covered with fiber optic threads like giant spider webs have already spread across the internet. Although there have been numerous reports of birds getting caught in these nets, other birds are incorporating them in nests. Contributor Inha Pavliy examines the consequences of fiber optic pollution and how it affects the environment:
The extensive destruction, pollution and losses that Ukraine has faced during the years of full-scale Russian invasion raise questions about the need for an environmental security program. In many countries that experience ongoing conflict—such as Israel, Lebanon, or Palestine—environmental security is a cornerstone of national policy. The situation in Ukraine is different for now, but it is necessary to develop a strategy. Expert Polina Tsymbalyuk explores how environmental security can be integrated with Ukraine’s national plan:
One project that addresses both environmental and national security concerns is wetlands restoration. Such work has already proven effective in the first months of the full-scale invasion. At that time, flooding and wetland restoration along the Irpin River helped to halt the 2022 advance on Kyiv. Today, many European countries are considering the defensive role of wetlands. Environmental expert Oleh Listopad (National Interest Defense Network) explains how wetlands can not only defend against tanks but also the effects of climate change:
We also continue our series on how climate and environmental activists struggle on despite the ongoing war. In the latest piece in the series, we will talk about Ukrainian activists. Despite the war, loss of friends and family, the need to defend their country, ongoing shelling and often horrific conditions—frequently living without heating or electricity—they continue to advocate for Ukraine’s environment and climate:
We wish you strength, peace, and good news!
Alexei Ovchinnikov, editor of UWEC Work Group