“As forensic investigators in Ukraine uncover evidence of killings that may amount to war crimes, experts of a different kind are at work to document the effect of Russia’s war on the environment.Ukraine’s ministry in charge of environmental protection said in a briefing last month that destroyed military equipment and ammunition, as well as exploded missiles and air bombs, pollute the soil and groundwater with chemicals, including heavy metals. Nickolai Denisov, deputy director of the Geneva-based Zoï Environmental Network, is part of a team mapping incidents of war-related damage or disruption. By the end of April, the group had reported 3,300 incidents in some 600 settlements, including cities, towns and villages. ...”
A local resident stands next to unexploded mortar shells left during Russia's invasion, in the village of Yahidne, Ukraine, on April 20. While there is little published research on contamination from munitions, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations says the First and Second World Wars have left soils in some parts of Europe contaminated for decades.
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