Russia is using environment, water and energy as weapons: Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence has presented evidence to EU
In its war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia is using the environment, water resources, and critical infrastructure on a massive and systematic scale as instruments of warfare. This approach by the occupying forces poses unprecedented security, humanitarian, and climate threats not only to Ukraine but to the entire European continent.
This was stated by a representative of the Main Directorate for Mine Action, Civil Protection, and Environmental Safety of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine during a speech at a thematic roundtable organized by the European Commission in Brussels, according to Censor.NET.
The Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant as an example of ecocide
The Ukrainian side presented its international partners with a detailed analysis of exactly how the Kremlin is turning civilian infrastructure into a weapon of mass destruction.
The most egregious act of this type of warfare was the deliberate destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant. This act of terrorism demonstrated Russia’s willingness to destroy entire ecosystems, deprive hundreds of thousands of people of water, and undermine the industrial potential of regions in order to achieve its tactical military objectives.
In addition, the following areas are under constant enemy attack:
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Ukraine's energy system (attempts to provoke a humanitarian disaster through blackouts);
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Hydraulic structures and civilian water supply systems (deliberately depriving the civilian population of access to drinking water);
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Nature reserves and forested areas (chemical contamination from explosions and large-scale fires caused by shelling).
Another element of Russia’s strategy of destruction has been the widespread laying of landmines across Ukrainian territories. The large-scale contamination with explosive ordnance not only hinders the recovery of affected communities but also causes immense damage to Ukrainian soil and groundwater.
Representatives of Ukraine’s defense ministry have called on European Union institutions to formally incorporate measures to counter Russian "environmental terrorism" and the climate risks of war into the EU’s future defense and security strategies.
