Ukraine estimates environmental damage of 1,000 days of war at $71 bn

The war in Ukraine has left tens of thousands of people dead, destroyed homes and created millions of refugees, but it has also caused severe environmental damage, Ukrainian Environment Minister Svitlana Hryntchuk told the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku.

The environmental damage caused by military operations following Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022 is estimated at $71 billion, Hryntchuk said on Tuesday.

In addition, an additional 180 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) have been released into the atmosphere due to shelling and forest fires, she said.

According to the minister, roughly 3 million hectares of forest have been destroyed by the war, while some 139,000 square kilometres of Ukraine have been contaminated by explosive residues.

"More than 6 million Ukrainians were forced to temporarily seek refuge in various European countries, resulting in an additional 3.3 million tonnes of CO2 emissions," she said.

The figures on CO2 emissions are consistent with those of a study conducted in June by a Ukrainian non-governmental organization, which found emissions of CO2 reached 175 million tonnes during the first 24 months since the start of the full-scale invasion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky marked the 1,000th day of the Russian war on Tuesday, calling for greater efforts to push Moscow towards "a just peace."

Developing countries are collectively demanding that industrialized nations mobilize at least $1.3 billion annually for climate financing - 13 times more than the current amount - at the talks in Azerbaijan. The two-week UN summit is scheduled to conclude on November 22.