The connection between the war in Ukraine and climate change might not be evident at first glance. Discussions of environmental damage brought upon by Russian warfare rarely appear on the front pages of major newspapers. Yet, recent scientific studies highlight that the war not only deteriorates ecosystems in Ukraine, but also accelerates global warming by emitting heat trapping greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.
Russian warfare disrupts the function of nuclear power plants, damaging their key structural components and preventing staff that know how to properly maintain these plants from making their way to work. As a result of this interference, Russia harms ecosystems throughout Ukraine and threatens to release radioactive material into the atmosphere. One such incident happened on June 6, 2023, when Russians blew up the Kakhovka Dam, which provided water for Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, not only creating a risk of the plant malfunctioning by damaging cooling systems but also causing a massive flooding in southern Ukraine. As water from the reservoir went south, it absorbed houses, factories and unlucky people along the way, damaging the Black Sea ecosystem. The Kakhovka reservoir has yet to be restored; numerous localities, including my home city Kryvyi Rih, still live without running water. In their efforts to find other water sources for the citizens, the local administrations have built new pipelines, releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere in the process.
Emissions have increased steadily throughout the war. During the two years of full-scale war, greenhouse gas emissions have amounted to 175 million tons of carbon dioxide. This number amounts to more than the annual greenhouse gas emissions of entire countries, like the Netherlands; in other words, the amount of energy used in the conflict could have produced 90 million new cars or 260 coal-fired power plants. The largest proportion of the war emissions — almost a third — comes from the reconstruction of damaged civilian buildings that took place mainly in the beginning of the war. The category of warfare, especially the use of carbon intensive materials like steel and concrete for construction, fuel consumption and the production of carbon intensive weaponry, is responsible for another 29% of the emissions.
Other factors that have led to such a high quantity of greenhouse gas emissions include Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian depots of fossil fuels, oil products and electricity networks, which have resulted in fires and leakages. The closure of civilian airlines in Ukrainian and Siberian airspace have increased air traffic in Europe and forced longer routes for airplanes. The fighting has also ignited carbon dioxide emitting fires and led to a massive travel consumption of refugees.
With the Kremlin’s attention largely directed toward the war effort, the largest country in the world continues to produce a vast share of the world’s oil and gas, failing to develop a successful strategy to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. If the ecologically destructive role of Russia remains under-discussed, the country will neither be held accountable for the damage already caused, nor take steps towards cleaner energy.
