While Russia’s invasion in Ukraine is still ongoing, it has already become clear that the war is taking a terrible toll on the Ukrainian people. The world is watching with horror, as the criminal attacks on civilians and their homes, on Ukrainian cities and villages increase in intensity and brutality. Putin’s war is a crime against humanity, but it is also an environmental crime whose consequences are difficult to predict. T
he news have focussed on concerns about the safety of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants. Other aspects, such as the fate of Ukrainian water supply, the effects of environmental pollution stemming from the destruction of fuel depots and other industrial infrastructure, or the damage to Ukrainian nature from the battles have received much less attention.