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Dear
Friends!
A year has passed since we began
living in the midst of Russia’s full-scale
invasion of Ukraine. Over that time, our work
group has published over 60 articles about the
war’s environmental consequences. We have
covered issues both indirectly and directly
impacted by the invasion. Unfortunately, the war
is not over; it continues, as does our work. On
the invasion’s anniversary, our team took stock,
shared their words and worries, and witnessed
the difficult events of the last
year.
18
March 2023 is a day that is not foremost in the
global community’s mind. It was on this day that
Russia’s annexation (occupation) of Crimea was
completed in 2014. Over the years of the
peninsula’s occupation, along with its rich and
diverse ecosystems and vitally important
biodiversity, the whole region has essentially
been turned into a military base. It has been
used as a bridgehead for the invasion since 24
February 2022. Our expert Oleksii Vasyliuk
discusses how the annexation has impacted
Crimea’s natural protected areas.
As
we have reported regularly, the invasion has not
only impacted protected areas and environmental
initiatives in Ukraine, but also significantly
worsened the situation in Russia itself.
Russia’s branch of World Wide Fund for Nature
was declared a “foreign agent”. UWEC expert
Eugene Simonov reflects on the implications of
this event and why the policy of creating
foreign agents is very dangerous for Russia and
the entire world.
Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine has prompted a series of
crises. One of the most significant is in the
energy sector. On the one hand, the war has a
notable effect on the energy sector’s use of
coal. On the other, Europe stands by its
ambitious plans to transition to renewable
energy sources. Journalist Anna Volynets
provides a brief overview of the year’s
energy-related outcomes and how they connect to
climate and environment
policies.
The
energy crisis also directly impacts the
environment. It was expected that sanctions on
Russia’s coal industry would decrease extraction
and improve environmental situation in regions
including the Kuzbass. This did not happen – the
situation in Kuzbass did not improve although
coal extraction faced additional challenges, and
grassroots environmental activists faced even
greater pressures. Activist and expert Anton
Lementuev examines life in Russia’s largest coal
region since February 2022.
We
continue to track the war’s environmental
consequences on our Website, Twitter, and
Facebook.
Wishing
you strength and
peace!
Alexei Ovchinnikov,
Editor
UWEC Work
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