All environmental crimes committed by Russia on the territory of Ukraine during the full-scale invasion are carefully documented in order to be properly assessed in international courts.
What is the current stage of the investigation into the Russian explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, how will the environmental situation in Ukraine be affected by the Russian pollution of the Seim River, as well as other water bodies, soils, destruction of natural ecosystems and biodiversity - these are the issues discussed by experts from Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise in a commentary to UNN.
According to experts, since the beginning of the full-scale Russian military invasion of Ukraine, numerous facts of deliberate anthropogenic impact of the enemy on the ecology and environment have been recorded. In this context, engineering and environmental expertise is one of the key tools in the process of bringing perpetrators to justice and analyzing the scale of the impact of military events on the environment.
Experts add that each fire caused by rocket attacks, the destruction of flora and fauna, and the pollution of water bodies have long-term consequences. These include irreversible changes in ecosystems, soil degradation, the extinction of certain species of plants and animals, as well as air and water pollution, which affects human health and the overall sustainability of the environment.
We have an eloquent example of the blowing up of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant by Russian troops. The flooding of large areas and contamination of water resources were only the immediate consequences of this large-scale environmental disaster. An expert commission is still working on this case, which must analyze thousands of indicators collected by the pre-trial investigation authorities. We have no right to speak in general terms, but must appeal only to facts and a reliable evidence base that will form the basis of international litigation. A similar story is true for the facts and consequences of rocket attacks, fires and other consequences. That is, each case of the enemy's environmental crime must be properly assessed and analyzed so that Ukraine can eventually bring the perpetrators to justice
The organic pollution of the Sejm River, caused by the deliberate actions of the Russian Federation, remains an urgent issue for citizens. It has led to a decrease in oxygen levels in the water, which has caused massive fish kills. Experts note that so far they have not received any relevant studies and examinations, but Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise is actively involved in all such studies, in particular due to its modern laboratories that have a full range of research and capacity for prompt and systematic analysis of environmental threats.
"Since February 2022, the Institute's experts have conducted more than 300 studies of water and soil samples. Up to several dozen of these samples are analyzed in one examination. Such studies include several stages that allow us to assess the condition of water and soil, identify contamination, and determine possible consequences for the environment and health of Ukrainians. If necessary, other analyzes are carried out: physicochemical, biological, toxicological, radiological - these aspects allow us to establish the environmental situation in which we live," noted the experts of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise.
Recall
The discharge of wastewater from a sugar factory in the town of tetkino in the Russian Federation caused pollution of the Seim River, which flows into the Desna, with organic matter, resulting in massive fish kills.
Due to the biological contamination of the water in the Seim and Desna rivers, the State Environmental Inspectorate reported catching 17 tons of dead fish and estimated the damage at over UAH 200 million.
And on September 9, a spot of pollution in the Desna River reached Chernihiv, where an unpleasant odor and a fish kill were observed.
According to environmentalists, it will now take 2-3 years to restore the ecosystems of the Seim and Desna rivers.
According to information from the Ministry of Environment, contaminated water from the Desna could have reached Kyiv region on September 14-16.