Nearly one million hectares of land have burned across Ukraine this year as Russia’s invasion continues to ravage forests, farmlands, and protected ecosystems — turning vast stretches of nature into battlegrounds.
Satellite data indicates around 9,000 separate fires consuming 965,000 hectares of land, including nearly a third of Ukraine’s farmland. This figure is nearly double the total area burned across the European Union during the same period.
The EU Joint Research Centre confirmed that 2024 marked the worst year for Ukraine’s forests in over three decades, underscoring the war’s far-reaching environmental toll.
War-Driven Fires Along the Front Line
A joint investigation by The Guardian and the Kyiv Independent traced burn scars that follow the eastern front line — stretching from Kharkiv to Donetsk and Luhansk — linking much of the devastation directly to military activity.
According to experts, both Ukrainian and Russian forces have used forested areas for cover from drones, making these zones targets for artillery and air strikes.
“These are significant areas, but they are not large wildfires. Most are the result of artillery and explosions,”
said General Jean-Claude Allard, a researcher at France’s Institute of International and Strategic Affairs, speaking to RFI.
Allard noted that while using fire intentionally as a weapon is possible, such acts are difficult to prove under international law.
Mines and Heat Turn the Front Line into a Tinderbox
Extreme summer heat and prolonged droughts have made Ukraine’s front line highly flammable. Millions of landmines scattered across the country worsen the situation — some explode spontaneously in high temperatures, while others prevent firefighters from accessing burning areas.
“We see many small fires that quickly grow out of control,” said Lennard de Klerk, a lead author of a report by the War Greenhouse Gas Accounting Initiative.
“Firefighters cannot intervene — it’s too dangerous because of mines. As a result, fires burn larger and longer than they normally would.”
Russian drone surveillance adds another layer of danger, as rescue operations are often monitored and targeted.
Environmental Damage and Legal Challenges
Under international law, deliberately setting fires or attacking rescuers constitutes a war crime — yet ecocide, or the deliberate destruction of ecosystems, is still not universally recognized.
“You would have to prove intent to deliberately destroy Ukrainian territory, which is difficult,”
explained Sophie Marineau, a PhD researcher in international relations.
“Russia can claim its attacks were aimed at military targets.”
Ukrainian prosecutors, including Vitaliy Nikitin of Kherson, are documenting every strike on protected natural areas, hoping to build evidence for future trials.
Still, Marineau warns that prosecution remains complex:
“We have records of dam destruction and river pollution, but international courts currently lack the authority to judge ecocide as a standalone crime.”
Climate Consequences Beyond Ukraine
The war’s environmental impact extends far beyond Ukraine’s borders. Since 2022, the conflict has emitted an estimated 237 million tonnes of greenhouse gases, with an economic cost of around $43 billion (USD) — according to the War Greenhouse Gas Accounting Initiative.
Forest fires alone account for one-fifth of the war’s carbon footprint.
“This war contributes significantly to global warming. The emissions don’t just affect Ukrainians — they affect everyone,” de Klerk said.
Ukrainian Environment Minister Svitlana Grynchuk called nature the “silent victim of this war” during her address to the COP29 summit in 2024. Scientists warn that rebuilding Ukraine’s ecosystems — restoring forests, soil, and biodiversity — will take decades even after the conflict ends.
Adapted from the original French version by RFI journalist Julien Hennequin, translated and edited for clarity.
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