Kherson region, a significant part of which was under occupation for an extended period or remains under enemy fire, has suffered the greatest environmental damage as a result of Russia’s aggression.
In an interview with Ukrinform, Hennadii Znakhorenko, Head of the Specialized Environmental Prosecutor’s Office (a department-level unit) of the Kherson Regional Prosecutor’s Office, spoke about investigations into environmental crimes, documenting damage in the occupied territories, the Askania-Nova case, and the prospects of holding those responsible to account.
LOOTING OF THE “ASKANIA-NOVA” NATURE RESERVE IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF A WAR CRIME
Ukrinform (UI): Mr. Znakhorenko, society and the media often describe Russia’s actions in Kherson region as ecocide. At the same time, regional statistics show that no criminal proceedings have been opened under Article 441 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (ecocide). Why is that?
Hennadii Znakhorenko (HZ): There is no doubt that the actions of Russian military personnel have had a large-scale negative impact on the environment. However, to qualify an offense under Article 441 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, it is necessary to establish all the elements of this crime. This involves not only proving that damage was caused to the natural environment or that significant material losses were incurred, but also establishing the scale and nature of the environmental consequences, their duration, their impact on ecosystems, the possibility of restoring them, and a causal link between the specific actions of the perpetrators and such consequences.
