Beyond the destruction of cities and industrial facilities, the war is leaving behind a vast environmental burden that Ukraine will continue to bear for decades
Russia’s war against Ukraine has inflicted not only human, economic, and infrastructural losses. It has also triggered a profound environmental crisis, affecting soils, water resources, air quality, forests, and protected natural areas across the country. And unlike many of the war’s visible consequences, these impacts will not end when the fighting stops.
According to official data, as of March 16, 2026, the State Environmental Inspectorate of Ukraine and its regional offices had documented 10,885 cases of environmental damage. The total estimated environmental losses have already reached nearly UAH 6.4 trillion. Meanwhile, according to the Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment 2025 conducted by the World Bank, the European Commission, the United Nations, and the Government of Ukraine, the cost of environmental recovery has already surpassed USD 85 billion. This makes the war one of the most severe environmental crises Europe has faced since the Second World War.
These figures are far from abstract. They reflect specific categories of damage: UAH 1.34 trillion in losses from soil contamination and land degradation; UAH 1.15 trillion from air pollution caused by combustion products; UAH 120 billion from the pollution and contamination of water resources; and UAH 3.8 trillion in damage to protected natural areas and conservation sites.
