Russia has already committed many war crimes in Ukraine since its invasion on February 24, 2014. According to international organizations and Ukrainian research, Russia’s invasion has caused significant environmental damage that could be considered war crimes.
According to the Geneva Conference,It is against the law to use any method or weapon of warfare that is intended to cause or can be expected to cause extensive, lasting, and severe damage to the natural world. This makes environmental crimes equivalent to war crimes.
Although environmental crimes are rarely prosecuted in court, the vast amount of evidence collected by Ukrainian organizations such is EcoactionRussia could be held responsible
What environmental harm has Russia caused so far?
Russia had done environmental damage in Ukraine before the war.
Putin launched an attack in 2014 on Ukraine’s Donbas steel and coal producing area, firing upon it using guns that tore down environmental protections.
The result was that pumping, which is crucial in coal mining to prevent toxic waste from filling the mine shafts, and polluting drinking waters, was stopped.
The UN estimated that environmental damage to Donbas had reached $30 million in 2015. As Russia wrecks havoc on Ukraine, the cost to the environment is expected to be significantly greater.
Ukraine’s ministry stated in a briefing last month that Russian missiles and bombs alongside destroyed weapons and ammunition have polluted the soil and drinking water with chemicals and heavy, toxic metals.
According to a ReportFrom the Defense Research and Development CanadaWeapons used in Ukraine contain heavy metals and explosives that can cause cancer. These compounds can be released into the soil, water, and air.
One of the most urgent concerns is soil contamination. It can persist for decades and ruin crop yields, making it extremely hard to use any other means.
Another example of this unyielding soil contamination, the Chernobyl nuclear plant explosion, is a great example. After extreme tests at the plant, the core exploded and the nuclear power plant exploded.
In 2022, decades later, the land remains uninhabited. Soil still yields crops despite radioactive contamination. The soil is so toxic that it is still used today. Currently, many Russian soldiers fighting in Chernobyl were hospitalized while digging trenches into the soil.
If all of Ukraine’s soil is affected by the war as Chernobyl was, it could have devastating environmental effects that could last decades.
Experts also pointed out that toxic weapons have a large carbon footprint, which could accelerate global warming. The war in Ukraine could have lasting effects on the environment.
Who is responsible for tracking down these crimes?
It is crucial that organizations map the environmental effects in order to prosecute these crimes.
Since the beginning of the war, many organizations have been mapping environmental war crimes, including international and Ukrainian organizations. Zo Environmental Network, Ecoaction, CEOBS, Environmental-People-Law, Truth Hounds, OSCE, etc.
Open-source information, satellite images and maps, as well as media reports, are used by the organizations to gather evidence that can be used in court.
The information will be given to a governmental working committee that includes the ministry of environment, military specialists and prosecutors as part of the United Nations Environmental Programme.
What evidence did they gather?
Ecoaction, one of the most prominent organizations in data mapping, has already tracked 200 incidents that could be considered war crimes and fact-checked them.
They have been able map the environmental damage using open sources, such as media reports or official reports from authorities.
The map tracks environmental destruction caused by industrial facilities, energy safety, impacts to ecosystems, impacts onto the marine ecosystem, and livestock waste. It also includes military actions.
According to Ecoactions, numerous hazardous industries are currently located in Ukraine. They have been severely destroyed by Russian hands, including nuclear power plants and seaports.
There have been fires at oil stations, gas stations, and landfills. Damage has also been reported at heating or water supply facilities.
Today, the oil depot at Vasylkiv near Kyiv caught on fire. To cause an environmental catastrophe, Russian and Belarusian troops are bombarding homes and buildings.
War crimes must all be punished
We request to ban all skyflights in Ukraine!!#CloseTheSky #StopRussianAggression pic.twitter.com/HGXuvqRQlZ— (@halinaviter) February 27, 2022
Ecoaction has been monitoring the environmental damage from each city to date.
Zo Environmental Network is an additional organization based out of Geneva. At the end April, there were 3,300 incidents and 600 settlements in environmental crimes that had been reported in cities, towns, villages and other parts of Ukraine..
This information can be used to map the terrain and help authorities to focus on ground analysis once the war is over.
According to some reports, Ukraine is also drafting new legislation that will establish a common framework to economic value damages to natural resources.
Russia could get away without being charged with the crimes
Although many are collecting evidence to bring Russia to court, experts believe that Russia will not be charged despite all the evidence.
Doug Weir is the research and policy director at The Conflict and Environmental Observatory(A UK charity that publishes environmental data) stated that very few environmental crimes are ever prosecuted.
There are very few precedents in which states have been held responsible for environmental damage and conflict, Weir. . The most well-known is the UN Compensation Commission. It was established following the 1991 Gulf War. However, the circumstances were unusual and very specific. Iraq had caused significant damage by setting fires to oil wells in Kuwait.
Weir later mentioned that the UN could enforce some compensation for Iraq because it wasn’t on the Security Council, and didn’t have veto authority.
Russia is a UN member security member, and therefore has the right to veto any attempt to indict them for environmental war crime.
Others pointed out that the International Criminal Court could be an effective place to prosecute war crime. However, Russia has historically refused to recognize decisions made by this court. This could change with the environmental court proceedings.
However, in order to bring Russia to trial and have a chance of winning, Ukraine must gather overwhelming evidence of environmental crimes committed by Russians in Ukraine. There are many organizations that have been building a case against Russia for a while now, which could make this possible. Now Ukraine needs to wait for peace.
Editor’s Note: Impakter.com columnists’ opinions are theirs, not Impakter.com’s. In the Featured Image:A soldier of the Ukrainian border forces shoots a gun in Kharkiv, March 12, 2022.Source: , Wikimedia.
