As a result of Russia’s war against Ukraine, several ecosystems in the south have been damaged or destroyed, including the Kinburn Spit in Mykolaiv region and the Askania-Nova reserve in Kherson region.
Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk reported this during a TV broadcast, responding to a question about the environmental damage caused by Russia to the Black Sea ecosystem.
“We can start with our Kinburn Spit, which has been destroyed. The same applies to the Askania-Nova reserve… Environmentalists are sounding the alarm,” he said.
“I’m from Mykolaiv region, and for us, Kinburn was a place of great significance — truly unique and fascinating. And that’s only part of what we know for sure, what we can see now. Whether this reserve will recover, and when, remains unknown,” he added.
Pletenchuk also noted the death of Black Sea flora and fauna in and around Crimea. According to him, some environmentalists report the deaths of thousands of dolphins.
In addition, he said that environmentalists from Odessa region are reporting oil slicks that have reached the Odessa coast.
The Navy spokesperson added that Russian forces are preventing international environmental organizations from accessing the Black Sea coast, even though they have the means to do so.
The Kinburn Spit is a sandy spit located in Mykolaiv region, 4–7.5 km from Ochakiv. It forms a continuation of the Kinburn Peninsula and partially separates the Black Sea from the Dnipro–Bug estuary.
