Environmental damage due to Kakhovka HEPP Russian-made disaster amounts to UAH 146 billion

The estimated amount of damage caused to the environment due to the Russian occupiers blowing up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant is about UAH 146 billion.

This follows from a statement by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, the Ukrainian News agency reports.

"The blowing up of the Kakhovka HEPP by the Russians is a deliberate act of terrorism. It fully falls under the definition of ecocide. This term must be clearly defined in the Rome Statute. This is needed not only by Ukraine but by the entire civilized world so that in the future no country will have intentions like this to defiantly destroy the environment," said the Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, Ruslan Strilets.

He expressed confidence that the International Environmental Group will develop a comprehensive document that will help assess the consequences of war for the environment and develop recommendations for finding mechanisms to hold the aggressor accountable for environmental crimes and the concept of environmental restoration.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, on June 29, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with members of the International Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of War, in particular with the former Deputy Prime Minister and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden Margot Wallstrom; Vice President of the European Parliament Heidi Gautala; President of Ireland in 1990-1997 Mary Robinson; and eco-activist Greta Thunberg.

Overnight into June 6, Russian troops blew up the Kakhovka HEPP.