Ukraine's foreign ministry made a tweet accusing Russia of ecocide, highlighting the damage that the invasion has had on the environment.
The tweet, which was made in honor of Earth Day, read: "Russia's war against #Ukraine has caused damage to 20% of Ukrainian protected natural areas, with millions of animals killed and 80 species facing the threat of extinction. 10 national parks, eight reserves & two biosphere reserves are under [temporary] occupation."
#EarthDay2023#Russia’s war against #Ukraine has caused damage to 20% of protected natural areas, with millions of animals killed and 80 species facing the threat of extinction. 10 national parks, 8 reserves & 2 biosphere reserves are under temp.occupation #StopEcocideUkraine pic.twitter.com/Mv7ky2JXlF
— MFA of Ukraine (@MFA_Ukraine) April 22, 2023
This is not the first time that Ukraine has attempted to draw international attention to the environmental harm being done by Russia's invasive forces. As The Jerusalem Post reported in 2022, Ukraine released a document detailing Russia's plans to harvest and sell Ukrainian timber.
"The occupying state plans mass deforestation of Ukrainian forests," said the directorate. "All forests in the temporarily occupied territories are at the highest risk. The total feeling of greenery is another terrible crime of the occupiers and the creation of ecocide.
At the time, Ukraine reported that Russia had deliberately targeted agricultural machinery like farm vehicles.
Endangered species in Ukraine
There are 79 endangered species with a presence in Ukraine, according to Earth's Endangered Creatures.
One of the endangered creatures inhabiting Ukraine is the European Bison.
In 1927, there were less than 60 Bison in private collections and zoos, but they were reintroduced into the wild in the 1950s. There are now 7,000 Bison in the wild, mostly concentrated on the Poland-Belarusian border.
Additionally, the Podolian Mole Rat, the Salgir Grudgeon fish, the Sandy Mole Rat and the Strongylongnathus karawajevi insect are endangered animals exclusively found in Ukraine. Little is known about these rare species.
According to the Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work Group, the war has caused small mammal species groups to become fragmented which endangers their continued existence. Large shells and rockets risk destroying entire colonies, trenches destroy the creature's habitats and the extreme stress of the armed situation can lead to the death of animals.