Kyiv 2nd worst in world's air quality amid fires in region
Kyiv authorities warned about sharp and "temporary deterioration" of air quality in the city.
Environment
Ukrainian river polluted by factory sewage in Kursk Oblast, PM says
"There are no threats to human life and health. There are no risks due to water intake in Chernihiv, (and no risks) from the Desna River and further along the Dnipro River in Kyiv," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
Beluga whale suspected of spying for Russia dies off Norwegian coast
Russia has never acknowledged that Hvaldimir, who became a local celebrity, may have been used to spy on Norway or other countries in the area.
Kherson Oblast nature reserve damaged but not fully destroyed by Russia, director clarifies
The Nature Reserve Askania-Nova in Kherson Oblast suffered heavily under Russian occupation but has not been fully destroyed as of now, the reserve's director, Viktor Shapoval, said in a comment for Suspilne on Aug. 19
Donetsk bear adopted by Scottish zoo dies after medical procedure
Yampil, a bear that was evacuated from a zoo in Donetsk Oblast in 2022, has died after not waking up from anesthesia, Five Sisters Zoo in Scotland announced on July 13.
Study reveals massive greenhouse emissions stemming from Russia's war in Ukraine
According to the study, the total damage associated with greenhouse gas emissions from the first two years of the full-scale invasion has exceeded $32 billion.
Deer and boar could roam forests in the Kakhovka reservoir in 5 years, head of national reserve says
A verdant green forest has sprouted in one of Ukraine’s most unlikely locations — the Kakhovka reservoir left nearly empty after Russia blew up its dam last year. Following the destruction of the dam on June 6 last year, nearly 20 cubic kilometers of water flooded Ukraine’s four southern
Ukraine charges Russian general over Kakhovka dam destruction
Russian Colonel General Oleg Makarevich, the former commander of the Dnieper group of forces, is suspected of ordering the destruction of the occupied Kakhovka dam last year, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on June 6.
Looking back at the Kakhovka Dam explosion one year later (Photos)
KHERSON OBLAST - When Russian forces blew up the Kakhovka Dam on June 6, 2023, they changed the landscape of southern Ukraine permanently. The breach unleashed nearly 20 cubic kilometers of water from the Kakhovka reservoir, a massive body of freshwater spanning three oblasts. Water levels in several cities in
More than 9,000 acres of forest engulfed in flames in Kharkiv Oblast, State Emergency Service says
There were at least nine separate fires, most of which were started by Russian strikes, the State Emergency Service said. Six of the fires, encompassing around 2,300 hectares (5,680 acres) were contained.
Opinion: Russia’s shadow fleet strategy draws from Iran’s playbook
Iran’s recent missile attacks against Israel serve as a stark reminder of the growing audacity of petro-dictatorships in flouting international norms and undermining global peace. Iran, emboldened by Russia’s relentless and indiscriminate assaults on Ukraine – targeting everything from hospitals and kindergartens to power stations with Iranian-made missiles and
The Counteroffensive: A look at the Russian military's war dolphins
Editor’s Note: This article was published by the twice-weekly newsletter “The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak” on April 14, 2024, and has been re-published by the Kyiv Independent with permission. To subscribe to "The Counteroffensive," click here. In a country at war, death is all around. But Pavel Goldin is
Media: Russia destroys over 60,000 hectares of Ukrainian forests
Russia's war against Ukraine has destroyed more than 60,000 hectares of forests, with the cost of damages amounting to at least Hr 14 billion ($360 million), according to an investigation by NGL Media published on April 8.
Ministry: Situation at Zaporizhzhia's Dnipro Dam under control, no danger of breach
The situation at Zaporizhzhia's Dnipro Dam is under control, and there is no danger of a breach following a Russian missile attack, the Environment Ministry said on March 23.
US State Department, German Marshall Fund want to rebuild sustainable Ukrainian cities
The U.S. State Department and German Marshall Fund established a public-private initiative to assist in rebuilding up to three Ukrainian cities, with a focus on sustainability.
Police launch investigation into suspected arson at Kyiv wetland park
The Osokorky Ecopark has been the center of a decades-long struggle between property developers and civil society activists, who campaign against illegal construction on the reserve.
Fire breaks out at ecopark in Kyiv
A fire broke out at the Osokorky Ecopark in Kyiv's Darnytskyi district on the evening of March 5, according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. The blaze was extinguished shortly before midnight.
Opinion: Green recovery in Ukraine is a strategic imperative for the EU
Two years of brutal, full-scale invasion by Russia has inflicted severe environmental damage on Ukraine, impacting the country's rich biodiversity, contaminating land and water resources, and posing a direct threat to public health and safety. Addressing these challenges is crucial for the environment, but also for the long-term peace, stability,
Mistaken for spies: Ukraine’s bird watchers find comfort and destruction
While some in Ukraine face the skies to watch for missiles and air defense, Vlad Hedzyuk lifts his binoculars looking for the flutter of wings. Hedzyuk, a biology student at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, is a member of Ukraine’s small but dedicated bird-watching community and has grown
Russia is committing ecocide in Ukraine, here’s how
Russian war crimes extend beyond human suffering. The environmental impact of this war might take Ukraine decades to recover. Officials have already labeled this destruction of nature as "ecocide." So, what exactly is ecocide? Find out in our explainer.
More than 5,000 dolphins die in Black Sea as a result of Russia’s war
Russia's war in Ukraine is not only killing civilians but defenseless animals as well. Marine biologists and ecologists from countries in the Black Sea region are sounding the alarm, as dolphins die en masse for the fourth month in a row. Ivan Rusev, an environmental scientist at Ukraine's Tuzly Estuaries
World Bank study reveals effects of global warming on Ukraine's agriculture, forests
According to a newly released study by the World Bank, Cherkasy, Kherson, Kirovohrad, Poltava and Vinnytsia oblasts will be subject to the greatest negative impacts from climate change in agricultural production by 2030. Kharkiv, Kirovohrad, Luhansk, Lviv and Zhytomyr oblasts will experience the highest increase in poverty and inequality as
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