Environmental experts have raised alarms about the severe pollution along Crimea’s Black Sea coast, which they attribute in part to military drills and infrastructure damage. They also blame toxic spills. The occupied Crimea faces an ecological disaster, with limited beach access and destroyed natural reserves.
According to UkrInform, Oleksii Vasiliuk, an environmentalist and the head of the board at the NGO “Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group,” warned of an ecological disaster in Crimea following Russian occupation.
The Black Sea coast has been severely polluted by the construction of the Kerch Bridge and fortifications. Fuel spills into the water, and missile attacks on nature reserves have also caused the pollution.
“The Crimean coast is on the verge of an ecological catastrophe.” The large number military vessels stationed constantly off Crimea’s coastline has destroyed deep-water sewer systems. The pollution is so bad that the occupying authorities have banned locals from visiting the beaches in many cities on Crimea’s southern coastline.
Vasyliuk pointed out, too, that the large-scale military exercises carried out by the occupiers to prepare for their full-scale invasion of 2022 caused further environmental damage in Crimea.
These exercises were carried out in protected areas of the Kerch Peninsula including the Opuk Nature Reserve. During military exercises, missiles were fired at the reserve. Vasyliuk said that the damage was substantial.
He also noted that the construction of Kerch Bridge has significantly blocked the Kerch Strait. This is vital for dolphins, and many fish species that spawn and migrate in the Sea of Azov.
The expert stressed that Crimea’s environmental degradation is also a result of new development projects, including the construction of military bases.
The construction of the Tavrida highway destroyed extensive natural areas and ancient burial mounds. The road has divided the Kerch Peninsula into two ecosystems. “The final kilometers of the highway caused the most deforestation on Crimea,” he said.
Viktor Parkhomenko is a researcher who studies the environmental impact of war and an expert at the “Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group.” He has highlighted that the missile launches from Crimea in 2022 targeting Ukraine contributed to the further pollution of Black Sea. Some missiles fell in the sea due to technical failures. They released highly toxic fuel.
Parkhomenko said that the construction of fortifications had also significantly affected Crimea’s environment.
“These are massive underground structures, not just trenches.” The expert asked, “What will happen to these structures later?”
The trenches are more than 70 kilometers long, and their construction has had a devastating impact on the ecosystems of the region.
Read More @ euromaidanpress.com