The Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, Svitlana Hrynchuk, made this statement at a conference in Helsinki regarding point 8 on ecological safety in the Ukrainian Peace Formula.

The event was attended by the Prime Ministers of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, and Finland, Petteri Orpo, heads of the Offices of the Presidents of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, and Finland, Lauri Tieeral, Attorney General Andriy Kostin, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Maroš Šefčovič, former Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden Margot Wallström, former Vice-President of the European Parliament Heidi Hautala, and other officials. The event gathered over 135 participants online and offline from 60 countries and international organizations.

“We urgently need support to recognize the environmental crimes committed by Russia and to hold Russia accountable for the destruction of Ukraine's environment due to military actions. Through the efforts of many states, organizations, and institutions, we must consolidate all expertise in assessing the impact of war on the environment to hold aggressors accountable worldwide and leave a clean environment for future generations,” emphasized Svitlana Hrynchuk.

As part of the event, participants developed a communiqué supporting Point 8 of the Ukrainian Peace Formula, which outlines a comprehensive set of measures for achieving ecological safety in the world.

“This is vital, as environmental pollution resulting from military actions extends far beyond Ukraine. Therefore, unprecedented consolidation of the global community is needed to address environmental issues during war and the green principles of recovery,” the Minister of Environmental Protection stressed.

According to her:

  • More than 6,000 environmental crimes committed by Russia have been documented to date, with damages exceeding 65 billion euros. These figures are not final and are increasing as military actions continue.
  • Liberated territories cannot be restored until they are cleared of mines. Currently, 139,000 square kilometers of our territory are mined.
  • In 2024 alone, wildfires have destroyed over 24,000 hectares of forest.
  • The estimated ecological damage from the criminal actions of Russians on the Seya and Desna rivers is already assessed at 12 million euros.
  • The Black and Azov Seas are also suffering from the consequences of the war. Currently, the damage to Ukraine is estimated at 345 million euros. This is only what has been calculated so far.

In addition to unified financial instruments, the ecological component of the Peace Formula involves restoration based on the most modern "green" principles. This will ensure a green transition for our state and a new standard of living for all Ukrainians according to European standards.

“I thank Finland for co-organizing this important event, and personally my colleague Kai Mikkänen for the warm welcome in Helsinki. Thank you to all partners who are with us today. We look forward to continuing coordination and planning the next practical steps soon at the Climate Summit COP29 in Baku, where Ukraine will traditionally have its pavilion,” Svitlana Hrynchuk concluded.