Due to the war and occupation, approximately 30,000 hectares of the Oleshky Sands in the Kherson region have been affected

On the left bank of the Kherson region, approximately 30,000 hectares of forest in the “Oleshky Sands” forest complex were damaged as a result of hostilities and the Russian occupation. The fires also destroyed the natural habitats of rare plants and animals and caused significant damage to the territory of the national nature park.

According to Yevhen Roman, from the start of the full-scale invasion through August 2025, fires destroyed approximately 30,000 hectares of forest in the “Oleshky Sands” forest complex.

Within the “Oleshky Sands” National Nature Park itself, fires engulfed 3,037 hectares during this period.

The war has also caused damage to other natural areas in the region. In particular, Russian aggression has damaged and destroyed more than 1,000 hectares of wetlands on the territory of the Novokakhovka Fish Farm for Small Fish.

The fires are destroying the natural habitats of rare plant and animal species, posing additional threats to biodiversity in the Kherson region.

The Dnieper birch and Dnieper thyme are now at risk of extinction. These plants grow naturally only in the Lower Dnieper Sands, so the destruction of their habitats could have particularly serious consequences for the conservation of these species.

In 2024, the occupying authorities sold firewood harvested from trees that grew on the territory of the “Oleshky Sands” Nature Park.

Also, in 2025, the occupiers acknowledged the extensive damage caused to the forests of the Kherson region as a result of the war.

The destruction of forests, wetlands, and natural habitats on the occupied left bank of the Kherson region complicates the conservation of the region’s unique ecosystems.

This was reported by the Goncharivka Environmental Information Center, citing Yevhen Roman, head of the national park’s research department.

As a reminder, the damage inflicted on the nature reserve fund of the Kherson region as a result of the war has exceeded 1.28 trillion hryvnias. Due to combat operations, Russian shelling, and fires, natural ecosystems are being destroyed, vegetation is being wiped out, and wildlife habitats are being damaged.

As a reminder, the environmental damage to Ukraine caused by the war has reached 85 billion euros.
 

Ukraine’s environmental losses due to the war have exceeded 7 trillion hryvnias.

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