More than 7,000 Russian environmental crimes recorded in Ukraine since full-scale invasion

This was stated by Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources for European Integration Olha Yukhymchuk at a meeting with representatives of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome, Ukrinform reports citing the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

“...In Ukraine, more than 7,000 Russia’s environmental crimes have been recorded since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. The damage exceeds EUR 72.9 billion, including land and soil pollution, damage to nature reserves and protected ecosystems, air, water and sea pollution, and the war's impact on climate change,” the ministry said.

The Deputy Minister underscored that the data on environmental damage will serve as the foundation for Ukraine's subsequent green recovery.

"The Ministry of Environmental Protection is currently developing a framework law, 'On the Basics of Green Recovery,' which will define key principles and approaches to sustainable recovery of the country and align with European standards," Yukhymchuk stated.

Currently, the Ministry of Ecology and the Italian side are collaborating to develop a list of preparatory activities for the Recovery Conference scheduled for July 10-11 in Italy. This meeting will determine the next steps for cooperation in implementing climate projects in Ukraine and support for Ukraine's accession to the EU.

"The Italian side has assured of its support for Ukraine's European integration path and emphasized its willingness to provide technical and expert assistance to accelerate Ukraine's progress towards the EU,” the ministry said.

In Rome, Yukhymchuk also met with representatives of WWF Italy. Among the issues discussed were the importance of the URC2025 environmental agenda and the participation of non-governmental organizations in the preparations for the Conference. Potential areas of cooperation outlined during the meeting include biodiversity protection in the context of green community restoration, the creation of green jobs for veterans, etc.

At the meeting, Italian Deputy Minister for the Environment and Energy Security Vannia Gava reiterated the commitment of official Rome to assist in Ukraine's recovery.

As reported, the URC2025 will be held in Rome on July 10-11, 2025. The event will be attended by heads of state and government from 77 countries, with a total of about 1,800 participants expected.

It will be the fourth Ukraine Recovery Conference. The previous ones were held in Lugano (Switzerland), London (UK) and Berlin (Germany).

Photo: Ministry of Environmental Protection