Russia masks militarisation of the Sea of Azov region as an ecological development strategy
The Russian occupation authorities have approved a so-called development strategy for the Sea of Azov region, which formally declares ecological restoration and tourism development, but in reality conceals the transformation of the coastline into a closed military zone.
According to the Centre for Countering Disinformation, the document includes the occupied areas of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts. Despite promises to protect the bioresources of the Sea of Azov, the occupiers’ actions are causing systematic environmental destruction through constant shelling, fires, and uncontrolled waste discharges into the water.
The real situation on the occupied coastline completely contradicts the propaganda claims about recreational potential, as Russian forces are heavily mining the beaches and constructing defensive structures there. Hotels, children’s camps, and recreation centres, instead of hosting tourists, accommodate occupying army personnel, turning civilian infrastructure into military facilities. Under these conditions, any calls for “resort tourism” are absurd and pose a direct threat to human life, since the coastal area is used exclusively as a rear base for combat operations.
Experts emphasise that this strategy is merely a tool of information warfare, aimed at legitimising the annexation and disguising war crimes as economic planning. As long as Russia continues its aggression, the ecological condition of the region is rapidly deteriorating due to the complete mismanagement by the occupation authorities. Genuine restoration of the Sea of Azov’s ecosystem and development of its tourism potential will only be possible after the full de-occupation of Ukrainian territories and the cessation of the aggressor’s military influence.
Russia’s war against Ukraine has caused large-scale environmental destruction, resulting in unprecedented environmental pollution — damage to Ukrainian ecosystems is estimated at $65 billion.
The direct losses caused by Russia’s destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant amount to at least $2 billion.
