Ukraine says Russia poisoned two of its rivers in act of ‘ecological genocide’

Oct 1

Lauren Taylor Anchor

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Jake Maslo (Video Editor)

Ukraine says that Russia isn’t just trying to kill its people with bombs and bullets but also through “ecological genocide,” according to a report published on Tuesday, Oct. 1. Kyiv claims that Russia intentionally poisoned the Seym River by dumping chemical waste from a sugar factory into the waterway in September. The waste reportedly included ammonia, magnesium and poisonous nitrates.

The Seym River flows into the Desna River, which connects with a reservoir in the Kyiv region that is used to supply water to millions of Ukrainians.

Ukraine’s Minister for Environmental Protection Svitlana Hrynchuk maintains the water is safe to drink in Kyiv, and that the agency is taking special steps to purify the water from nitrates and put nets across the Desna to catch contaminated fish.

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Meanwhile, communities surrounding Kyiv report mass fish die-offs and have banned fishing and swimming in the river. Some regions have even been forced to use compressors to pump oxygen into the river to save any remaining fish and recent rains offers some hope. However, Serhiv Zhuk, the head of Chernihiv’s Ecology Inspectorate said that the outlook is bleak.

“There is a difference between a natural and man-made disaster,” Zhuk said. “Russia’s ecological genocide won’t stop until the war stops.”

Ukrainian officials say environmental destruction isn’t new for Russian forces, alleging that Russian troops have destroyed national parks, forests and killed animals. Explosions have also reportedly sparked wildfires, which have been made worse by hot weather.

“Ukraine is fighting for its future,” Hrnchuk said. “That future has to include nature. We need clean water, clean air, clean woods, everything. We have to a beautiful country. We have to save and protect it.”

Tags: Conservation, Kremlin, Kyiv, Moscow, Russia, Russia-Ukraine War, Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine, Ukraine aid, Ukraine Defense Ministry, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

UKRAINE SAYS RUSSIA ISN’T JUST TRYING TO KILL ITS PEOPLE WITH BOMBS AND BULLETS BUT THROUGH QUOTE “ECOLOGICAL GENOCIDE” AS WELL.

KYIV CLAIMS RUSSIA INTENTIONALLY POISONED THE SEYM RIVER BY DUMPING CHEMICAL WASTE FROM A SUGAR FACTORY INTO IT LAST MONTH. THE WASTE INCLUDED AMMONIA, MAGNESIUM AND NITRATES.

THE SEYM RIVER FLOWS INTO THE DESNA WHICH CONNECTS WITH A RESERVOIR IN THE KYIV REGION, WHICH IS USED TO SUPPLY WATER TO MILLIONS.

UKRAINE’S MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION MAINTAINS WATER IS SAFE TO DRINK IN KYIV.

ADDING, THE AGENCY’S TAKEN SPECIAL STEPS TO PURIFY THE WATER FROM NITRATES AND PUT NETS ACROSS THE DESNA TO CATCH CONTAMINATED DEAD FISH.

WHILE COMMUNITIES SURROUNDING KYIV REPORT MASS FISH DIE OFFS AND HAVE BANNED FISHING OR SWIMMING IN THE RIVER.

SOME REGIONS WERE ALSO FORCED TO USE COMPRESSORS TO PUMP OXYGEN INTO THE RIVER TO SAVE ANY REMAINING FISH AND RECENT RAINS OFFER SOME HOPE. BUT A LOCAL ECOLOGY EXPERT SAYS THE OUTLOOK IS BLEAK.

SAYING, “THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A NATURAL AND MAN-MADE DISASTER.”

ADDING, “RUSSIA’S ECOLOGICAL GENOCIDE WON’T STOP UNTIL THE WAR STOPS.”

UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS SAY ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION ISN’T NEW FOR RUSSIAN FORCES.

ALLEGING RUSSIAN TROOPS HAVE DESTROYED NATIONAL PARKS, FORESTS AND KILLED ANIMALS.

EXPLOSIONS HAVE ALSO SPARKED WILDFIRES AND IT’S BEEN MADE WORSE BY HOT WEATHER.

THE MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION SAID, QUOTE:

“UKRAINE IS FIGHTING FOR ITS FUTURE. THAT FUTURE HAS TO INCLUDE NATURE. WE NEED CLEAN WATER, CLEAN AIR, CLEAN WOODS, EVERYTHING. WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY. WE HAVE TO SAVE AND PROTECT IT.”

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.