Ukraine lost roughly 600 square miles of forest in the first two years of its war with Russia, an area of woodland twice the size of New York City.
That’s according to a new analysis of satellite imagery, which tracked changes in forest cover since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022. The research, published in Global Ecology and Conservation, found that fire is the main driver of forest loss and noted that Russian troops have stymied efforts to put out forest fires. Ukrainian officials recently began collecting testimony on Russia’s environmental crimes.
“As it is dangerous for firefighters to operate in the war zone, these fires rage on in an uncontrolled manner, growing larger in size and intensity, and leading to carbon emissions,” explained a recent report.
Along with fires, the report found, tanks, fighter jets, and other military vehicles have been a sizable source of emissions, while attacks on refineries, pipelines, and other infrastructure have also unleashed large amounts of heat-trapping gas. The war has even driven up emissions from commercial aviation by forcing Western planes to chart longer routes across Asia to avoid flying over Russia.
The total climate impact of the war thus far, authors found, is equal to the yearly emissions of 120 million gas-powered cars.
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