OSCE Secretary General calls for vigilance as fighting increases long-term environmental risks in Ukraine

VIENNA, 7 April 2022 – OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid has warned of the serious environmental damages caused by continued fighting in Ukraine, and their long-term effects across the region.

“After six weeks of fighting, I am receiving more and more reports on the potentially disastrous environmental impacts of the war in Ukraine,” said Schmid. “This has included risks to the Chornobyl and Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plants, deteriorating access to – and quality of – drinking water in large areas of the country, chemical leaks, damage to critical infrastructure and flooding.”

Damages to commercial and industrial sites, such as the chemical plant in Sumy, lead to hazardous material leaks that further hurt the health and safety of the civilian population. These leaks also pollute the surrounding areas and can have a lasting impact on larger ecosystems when they seep into and poison rivers. Additionally, the destruction of bridges and other critical infrastructure near rivers can cause flooding, as was reported in the Irpin river basin.

The Secretary General also drew attention to the challenges that had arose combating wildfires near the Chornobyl nuclear reactor, due to military activities in the area. Drawing on the OSCE’s experience training Ukrainian and Belarusian firefighters to deal with areas contaminated with radioactivity, Schmid highlighted the possible regional consequences of these fires.

“While the risk has diminished in recent days, forest fires near reactors have in the past led to increased radiation levels and radioactive pollution does not stop at the border,” she added. Moreover, OSCE Secretary General warned about the risks posed to countries across the area, saying that: “these constitute one more reason why hostilities must stop to limit the long-term environmental and human health impacts on Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and beyond.”