Mr Chair, Honourable Members [of the European Parliament],  

Russia’s illegal brutal war against Ukraine continues for almost 700 days. We stood, and we continue standing unwavering by Ukraine. The war brings unspeakable suffering to the Ukrainian people. And nature is a silent victim of Russia’s war with devastating environmental consequences. 

We all remember the destruction of the dam at Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant on 6 June this year. This act caused widespread damage, submerging 620 km² of territory, impacting 100,000 residents directly. Ukraine estimated that the total recovery and reconstruction needs amount to €4,68 billion, of which roughly half is required immediately. Some of the damage will be irreparable for years. 

President [of Ukraine, Volodymyr] Zelenskyy denounced the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam as an ‘ecocide’ and the ‘worst environmental disaster in Ukraine after Chernobyl’.

Beyond this, the war causes damage to the environment every day. Based on its environmental inspections, Ukraine estimates that Russia's invasion has caused roughly €52.4 billion in environmental damage. For too long, environmental damages have been side lined as collateral damage. This must stop.  

Ukraine is the first country in history investigating crimes committed by the occupation forces against the natural environment as war crimes. According to Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General, a total of 2,500 incidents of environmental damages have been documented so far. 

The European Union condemns in the strongest terms the damages to nature caused by the Russian Federation in Ukraine. Perpetrators must be held to account and damages must be compensated. 

The European Union works intensely on ensuring accountability. We enabled Eurojust to set up the Core International Crimes Evidence Database to preserve, store and analyse evidence related to international crimes. Ukraine can now directly benefit from this new database.  

The European Union also continues strengthening the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office itself, in the investigation and prosecution of environmental damages caused. Our support, together with that of the United States and the United Kingdom via the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group (ACA) remains crucial.  

We also fully support the International Criminal Court’s investigations. It is worth remembering that, under the Rome Statute, acts causing ‘widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment’ can amount to war crimes. 

It is equally important to ensure that Russia pays reparations, including for environmental damage resulting from internationally wrongful acts in or against Ukraine. 

In that respect, we welcome the Register of Damage established by the Council of Europe. It will serve as a record of evidence and information on claims for damages, losses or injury caused by Russia’s war of aggression. As you know, the European Union is a founding Associate Member of the Register, and we supported its set-up with €1 million. 

Honourable Members, allow me to thank you for your continuous efforts in attracting public attention to the illegal war Russia is waging against Ukraine, including to its environmental consequences. And I also welcome the High-Level Working Group the European Parliament organised on 27 November in this regard.  

Thank you for your attention and I look forward to the debate. 

Link to the video (starting at 1:45): https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-250499  

Closing remarks  

Mr Chair, Honourable Members, 

The debate today testifies how important it is to hold Russia accountable, also when it comes to the devastating environmental consequences of its war of aggression against Ukraine. I trust and welcome that you will continue to keep environmental damages caused by the war on your political agenda. 

What happens in Ukraine impacts the entire world. Damages are not just national: consequences go beyond borders and impact wider regions. It is not only about agriculture and food. It is also clean air, fresh water, human health and the whole natural habitat. Nature and peace are interconnected. Harm one and you will harm the other. 

Numerous challenges still remain to hold perpetrators accountable, but European Union, as an international fore runner on climate and environmental protection, should definitely play a role in this process. 

In the meantime, we also need to focus on actual rehabilitation and restoration of damages done to nature in a broader sense. Repairing ecosystems and natural infrastructures is a vital part of rebuilding the Ukrainian economy and to ensure prosperity and well-being of all Ukrainians in the long run. 

It is important that we help Ukraine to rebuild and recover in a way that will ensure its prosperity for decades to come – avoiding being stranded with a resource-consuming, over-polluting, and health-harming infrastructure. The European Union stands ready to continue to support the Ukrainian administration to make sure the recovery is as sustainable as it can be in this precarious situation. 

Thank you. 

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-250501