Russia must be held responsible for over 2,000 environment damages of war: Ukraine

The Ukrainian Environment Minister Ruslan Strilets on Monday (November 14) said at UN climate talks that Russia must accept responsibility for the environmental damage brought on by its invasion of Ukraine.

He said, "Russia must be held responsible not only to Ukraine but also to the whole world." The key issue is that, with Ukraine understanding the damages caused, it'll be challenging for them to file lawsuits for each damage caused.

Strilets announced that Ukraine is now launching a platform to assess the environmental impact brought on by Russian military activity, AFP reported.

Kyiv hopes this will unify international methods to evaluate the damage to the environment and climate.

Earlier, he had told European Union that the conflict has destroyed forests, fouled water, damaged mines and more. Nearly three million hectares (7.4 million acres) of the Ukrainian woods have been damaged by the Russian troops. In response to this damage, the 27-nation bloc promised to help Kyiv with aid including financial support.

The minister said Moscow's invasion is projected to result in direct emissions of nearly 33 million tonnes of CO2, and the anticipated restoration is expected to result in the emission of 49 million tonnes of CO2.

According to him, over 2,000 instances of environmental harm caused have already been documented.

Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine began in February, leading to major global shortages of fuel and food.

(With inputs from agencies)

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