Russian occupiers have destroyed over 60,000 hectares of forests in Ukraine

Russian occupiers have destroyed over 60,000 hectares of forests in Ukraine, according to a joint study conducted by NGL.media and the NGO ForestCom based on satellite imagery.

The independent anti-corruption center, NGL.media, in collaboration with the NGO ForestCom conducted a study based on satellite imagery to assess the destruction of over 60,000 hectares of forests by Russian occupiers during the two years of the war in the occupied territories. According to the State Forest Agency's estimates, this destruction accounts for nearly 30% of all forests in Ukraine. The minimal estimated value of the lost forests exceeds 14 billion UAH, encompassing only direct losses, which include the value of timber that could have been obtained from these over 60,000 hectares. These losses do not account for the ecological consequences, as the mitigation of such consequences can be considerably more expensive.

Regarding Ukrainian forests serving as yet another resource for the occupiers (similar to grain, metal, coal, etc.) not only for military purposes but also for profit from plundering, Dmytro Karabchuk, founder and executive director of the NGO ForestCom (Forest Initiatives and Society), coordinator of the project "Combatting Illegal Logging in Ukraine," comments: "Russia is one of the world's largest timber exporters. If Ukrainian timber from the temporarily occupied territories ends up in their supply chain, it compromises the entire market. Those who buy from the Russians cannot be certain that they have not acquired illegally sourced timber."

Volodymyr Yarotsky, an expert in environmental education, research, and biodiversity conservation at the NGO  ForestCom comments on the devastating consequences for territories that previously had limited amounts of forests: "Forests were planted to protect the soil and the population from the spreading fields of sand. Now we see the reappearance of exposed sands. Given the widespread fires, it is difficult to clearly define the areas subjected to logging. Furthermore, they are unlikely to engage in selective logging, following a logical plan. We know they simply cut down whichever trees they wish without any logic or planning."

In the study, you can read about the total destruction of forests by the russians through various means, as well as the specific challenges faced by forest enterprises that now find themselves under occupation, along with the testimonies of people whose activities are directly related to forests. The publication also includes the analysis of the ecological impact on the affected territories and comments from scientists, ecologists, environmentalists, and law enforcement authorities.

The publication features a detailed online map displaying regions that have been effectively deforested.

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The activities of the NGO ForestCom are implemented within the project "Combatting Illegal Logging in Ukraine," supported by the International Programs Department of the U.S. Forest Service