Russian propaganda is shifting the blame for the environmental destruction in the occupied territories onto Ukraine.
According to Ukrinform, the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) under the National Security and Defense Council reported this on Facebook.
Moscow presented a so-called white paper on the environmental situation in the territories it has occupied, prepared by scientific institutions controlled by the Russian government. The document is presented as the so-called “first comprehensive analysis of environmental damage during the post-Soviet period.”
The report acknowledges that the war has caused massive environmental damage—including deforestation, soil degradation, water pollution, and the destruction of nature reserves. However, responsibility for these processes is systematically shifted onto Ukraine. At the same time, the report highlights the Russian Federation’s alleged “reconstruction efforts” in the occupied territories.
Such rhetoric is manipulative, the Center for Countering Disinformation emphasizes; it was Russia that launched the war against Ukraine, which has become the key cause of the massive destruction of ecosystems. Combat operations, shelling, landmining, fires, and the destruction of critical infrastructure are direct consequences of Russian aggression. By promoting such “studies,” Russia is attempting to evade responsibility for the ecocide it is committing on Ukrainian soil.
As reported by Ukrinform, a case regarding the destruction of the Oskil Reservoir dam by Russian troops in the spring of 2022 has been referred to court.
