UWEC Work Group

8 Dec 2025

1/ 🙏 Support UWEC with your donation! uwecworkgroup.info/donate/ Against the backdrop of other important news, the #environmental consequences of the Russian #war seem to be taking a back seat. Yes, our era has seen a multitude of crises, but #Ukraine must remain a priority topic in the media.

uwecworkgroup.infoPreserve the Great Meadow as a UNESCO World Heritage Site – Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work GroupOleksiy Vasyliuk On the eve of the third anniversary of Russia’s destruction of the Kakhovka Hydropower Plant and its reservoir, Ukrainian and international institutions appealed to Ukraine’s Ministry...

1/ 🌳 Don’t rebuild the dam: Ukrainian experts urge #UNESCO to protect site uncovered by Russian sabotage: theguardian.com/world/2026/o... We appreciate that @theguardian.com is drawing attention to protection measures for the Great Meadow aka #VelykyLuh: uwecworkgroup.info/preserve-the...

2/ UWEC & Ukrainian and international organizations appealed to Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture and the Ukrainian National Commission for #UNESCO calling for the inscription of the Dnipro River Great Meadow on the UNESCO Tentative List of World Heritage Sites as a mixed cultural and natural site

1/ 🤬 A July satellite analysis showed that after the UAF destroyed a bridge crossing the Promoina Strait in Syvash, the Russians began filling the strait with earth to allow military equipment to pass between #Henichesk and the Arabat Spit. 🔗 Read more: uwecworkgroup.info/environmenta...

2/ As a result, one of the two natural water bodies connecting the Syvash and the Sea of #Azov is now at risk of being destroyed. 🔗 More details can be found in our review of the environmental consequences of the war in #Ukraine for July–August 2026: uwecworkgroup.info/environmenta...

uwecworkgroup.infoPromises or commitments? Fifty shades of green at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 – Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work GroupIevgeniia Kopytsia, Alexander Vorbrugg, Anna Ackermann The Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) 2026 in Gdańsk was the largest yet. Civil society and municipalities played a stronger role than in previou...

1/ 🤨 Promises or commitments? Fifty shades of green at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 #URC2026 🔗 Read more on the UWEC website: uwecworkgroup.info/promises-or-...

3/ The authors argue that the conference’s emphasis on pragmatism and investment leaves environmental and social concerns vulnerable to being sidelined or reduced to rhetorical commitments.

4/ Also, the authors call for more diverse cross-sectoral debate and stronger environmental advocacy ahead of #URC2027 in Tallinn. 🔗 Read more: uwecworkgroup.info/promises-or-...

1/ 🤨 Promises or commitments? Fifty shades of green at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 #URC2026 🔗 Read more on the UWEC website: uwecworkgroup.info/promises-or-...

2/ Civil society and municipalities played a stronger role than in previous years, promoting people-centered, environmentally safeguarded recovery, while “green recovery” featured in discussions but was often narrowly framed around EU accession, energy security and business opportunities.

1/ 🐾 UAnimals calls for a nationwide hunting ban during the war Together with other civil society activists, the Ukrainian animal welfare organization appealed to the Cabinet of Ministers and the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of #Ukraine. 🔗: uwecworkgroup.info/environmenta...

2/ Despite the fact that #hunting is officially prohibited under martial law, animals continue to be killed under the guise of “sanitary culling.” Signatory organizations are calling for a complete ban on the killing of wild animals for any reason during the war.

uwecworkgroup.infoEnvironmental consequences of the war in Ukraine: July–August 2026 Review – Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work GroupAlex Ovchinnikov We continue to compile the most important news, events and analysis on the environmental consequences of Russia’s war in Ukraine. We welcome your feedback—share as a comment on уыёthi...

3/ 🔗 More details can be found in our regular review of the #environmental consequences of the war in #Ukraine for July–August 2026: uwecworkgroup.info/environmenta...

uwecworkgroup.infoUWEC Work Group designated an “undesirable organization” in Russia – Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work GroupThis designation underscores the importance of UWEC’s work in identifying and analyzing the environmental consequences of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Here, we explain what you need to know and recommend ...

1/ ‼️ UWEC Work Group designated an “undesirable organization” in #Russia 🔗 Read more: uwecworkgroup.info/uwec-work-gr...

3/ This means that, in the opinion of the Russian government, the activities of our group “pose a threat to the country’s security, defense capabilities, or constitutional order.”

4/ Such #undesirable organizations are prohibited from conducting activities in #Russia, and Russian citizens may face administrative and even criminal liability for collaborating with them. 🔗 Read more: uwecworkgroup.info/uwec-work-gr...

1/ ‼️ UWEC Work Group designated an “undesirable organization” in #Russia 🔗 Read more: uwecworkgroup.info/uwec-work-gr...

2/ On August 25, 2026, Russia’s Prosecutor General designated @uwecworkgroup.bsky.social and 14 other organizations as #undesirable, a decision that was made public on September 10, 2026.

4 Sept

🪶 Wild Victims of War. Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) With this article, we begin a series on #wildlife that has fallen victim to Russia’s full-scale invasion of #Ukraine. 🔗 Read more: uwecworkgroup.info/wild-victims...

uwecworkgroup.infoA Review: “Russian civil society under repression” – Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work GroupEugene Simonov UWEC Work Group has long aspired to explore the transformation of Russian environmental civil movements under war-time pressures. The June 2026 special issue of Baltic Worlds (Vol. XIX:...

7 Aug

The June 2026 special issue of Baltic Worlds, titled “Russian civil society under repression: Adapting, but not surrendering” explores the transformation of Russian #environmental civil movements under war-time pressures. 🔗 UWEC reviews several analyses: uwecworkgroup.info/a-review-rus...

uwecworkgroup.infoTen years of sea arbitration—limited gains for Ukraine, a step forward for environmental law – Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work GroupMargo Moore and Eugene Simonov The 2026 arbitral ruling in the decade-long maritime dispute between Ukraine and Russia delivered a landmark, albeit mixed, outcome. While the Tribunal dismissed Ukraine...

28 July

1/ ⚖️ Ten years of sea arbitration—limited gains for #Ukraine, a step forward for environmental law 🔗 Read more on the UWEC website: uwecworkgroup.info/ten-years-of...

28 July

2/ While the Tribunal dismissed Ukraine’s navigational and “aggravation of the dispute” claims, it ruled #Russia violated the Convention on the Law of the Sea #UNCLOS by failing to conduct adequate environmental impact assessments for its key infrastructure projects, such as the #Kerch Strait Bridge

28 July

3/ Despite ordering no corrective measures to address the violations, leading maritime lawyers believe that the decision significantly advances the “greening” of modern international maritime law and maritime security. 🔗: uwecworkgroup.info/ten-years-of...

uwecworkgroup.infoMoscow’s black skies send a message to the world: oil must remain in the ground – Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work GroupBy Oleh Savytskyi The “oil rain” that fell over Moscow after the partially self-inflicted blasts at the Gazprom Neft refinery is a disturbing image of what fossil fuel infrastructure means in wartime....

1/ 💥 Moscow’s black skies send a message to the world: #oil must remain in the ground 🔗 UWEC publishes the opinion of Oleh Savytskyi, a strategic advisor at @razomwestand.bsky.social: uwecworkgroup.info/moscows-blac...

3/ 💬 Burning oil tanks, toxic smoke, contaminated precipitation and risks to soil and water are real environmental harms. They should not be dismissed.

4/ 💬 But they also should not obscure the larger truth: the biggest environmental threat is not a refinery fire. It is Russia’s unlimited fossil fuel extraction model, which serves as an economic basis for anti-humane and anti-environmental “petrofascism”.

2/ 💬 The “oil rain” that fell over #Moscow after the partially self-inflicted blasts at the Gazprom Neft refinery is a disturbing image of what fossil fuel infrastructure means in wartime.

uwecworkgroup.infoSix-legged stowaways: The dangerous insects hitching a ride to war-torn Ukraine – Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work GroupStanislav Viter In an environmental context, war isn’t just about pollution caused by explosives or the destruction of infrastructure. The uncontrolled movement of people and goods facilitates the spr...

9 July

1/ 🦟 Along with humanitarian aid, machinery, timber products, and personal belongings, uninvited "six-legged hitchhikers"—invasive insects—are making their way into #Ukraine. 🔗 Read more: uwecworkgroup.info/six-legged-s...

9 July

2/ Some of these insects carry dangerous diseases, while others damage agriculture, forests and food supplies. #ClimateChange only makes it easier for them to establish themselves in new areas.

9 July

3/ Today, cargo inspections, quarantine measures and adherence to sanitary standards are just as important as infrastructure restoration. 🔗 Read more on the UWEC website: uwecworkgroup.info/six-legged-s...

29 June

Ukrainian and international institutions are calling for the inscription of the Dnipro River Great Meadow #VelykyLuh on the @unesco.bsky.social Tentative List of World Heritage Sites as a mixed cultural and natural site 🔗: uwecworkgroup.info/preserve-the...

uwecworkgroup.infoBlind restoration: What lessons do other countries have for Ukraine’s green recovery? – Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work GroupOleksiy Vasyliuk The issue of Ukraine’s postwar recovery has shadowed military events since the first months of Russia’s full-scale invasion. And the more destruction is inflicted, the greater in scal...

15 June

1/ 😳 Paradoxically, the biggest #environmental risks of a war may arise not during the fighting, but in the post-war period. How can we avoid the mistakes of other countries and ensure a truly sustainable recovery for #Ukraine? 🔗 Read here: uwecworkgroup.info/blind-restor...

15 June

2/ International donors are allocating billions of dollars for #Ukraine's post-war reconstruction. Their decisions largely determine whether projects consider #environmental risks, the views of local communities and long-term sustainability.

15 June

3/ Haste, weakening #environmental requirements and a lack of strategic planning could lead to a new wave of losses for nature after the war. True recovery begins where development goes hand in hand with conservation, not at its expense. 🔗 Read more: uwecworkgroup.info/blind-restor...

uwecworkgroup.infoRe-dam or to restore the Dnipro: What are the goals of International Financial Institutions in the Dnipro River valley? – Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work GroupOleksiy Vasyliuk and Eugene Simonov Throughout the years of full-scale war, the tactics chosen by the Russian army have focused on capturing or destroying the most powerful power generation facilities...

1/ 🌅 What's more important for #Ukraine's future: restoring the #Kakhovka Hydropower Plant or giving the #Dnipro River a chance to recover on its own? 🔗 Read more on the UWEC website: uwecworkgroup.info/re-dam-or-to...

4/ However, plans to build a new hydropower plant at #Kakhovka are also under discussion. This would mean flooding these newly grown ecosystems and a return to the old model of river management.

5/ Experts believe that the choice made today will determine #Dnipro's future for decades to come: restoring the past or creating a more sustainable and modern development model. 🔗 Read more on the UWEC website: uwecworkgroup.info/re-dam-or-to...

2/ After the destruction of the #Kakhovka Dam, an unexpected phenomenon occurred on the site of the former reservoir: the unique and enormous floodplain of the #VelykyLuh Great Meadow began to revive.

3/ Today, new forests are growing there, rare fish and bird species are returning, and the area itself is becoming one of the largest natural restoration projects in #Europe.

1/ 🫣 Is environmental health receding into the background? New recovery assessments for #Ukraine reveal a concerning trend: after progress in 2023–2024, attention to nature is declining again. 🔗 Read more: uwecworkgroup.info/building-bac...

4/ In such cases, funding almost always pulls decisions toward simple and fast projects. Without strict rules, #environmental priorities systematically lose to economic ones – even when “green” goals are declared.

uwecworkgroup.infoBuilding Back Business as usual: Can the Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment provide strategic planning support for green rebuilding of Ukraine? – Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work GroupEugene Simonov and Oleksiy Vasyliuk In the wake of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, the World Bank, alongside the Government of Ukraine, the European Commission, and the United Nations, shift...

5/ The main risk is that rapid projects without #environmental safeguards could destroy what remains of natural heritage of #Ukraine. 🔗 Read more: uwecworkgroup.info/building-bac...

2/ In the latest fifth #RDNA report, biodiversity is mentioned only formally, and less than 1% of the estimated $600 billion in funding is allocated to environment-focused measures.

3/ The report’s focus has shifted toward speed and investment and away from sustainable development. Agricultural recovery follows pre-war models, ecosystems are not prioritized and the “Do No Harm” principle is often overlooked.

25 May

The Belgian media @lalibre.be spoke with UWEC co-founder Oleksiy Vasilyuk about seeking a balance between safe mine clearance, ecosystem protection, and future recovery of #Ukraine. We've translated this material for you. 🔗: uwecworkgroup.info/soil-and-wat...

uwecworkgroup.infoEspoo Convention: Does cross-border environmental impact assessment work in war zones? – Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work GroupPolina Tsybulska In today’s world, where armed conflicts are becoming increasingly frequent, the environmental consequences of war extend beyond national borders, threatening not only local ecosystems...

15 May

1/ The #ESPOO Convention was a peacetime concept created to enable countries to assess the environmental risks of major projects in advance and prevent transboundary damage. 🤔 But what happens when war causes the damage? 🔗: uwecworkgroup.info/espoo-conven...

15 May

2/ Destruction of dams, pollution of rivers and the Black Sea, and mining of territories—all illustrate that existing international #environmental mechanisms are insufficient to respond to military threats.

15 May

3/ At the same time, the #ESPOO Convention could become an important post-war tool for coordinating ecosystem restoration, risk assessment and preventing new environmental crises in the #BlackSea and #Danube regions. 🔗 Read more on the UWEC website: uwecworkgroup.info/espoo-conven...

uwecworkgroup.infoUnderwater migrants: the invasive species upsetting ecosystems in Ukraine’s Black Sea waters – Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work GroupMaria Shevchuk How is Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine related to the spread of invasive species in the Black Sea, and who are the new arrivals? Do these “underwater migrants” pose a threat to ...

6 May

1/ 🦐 How has Russia’s full-scale invasion of #Ukraine affected the spread of #invasive species in the Black Sea? Which alien species are most commonly found in the #Odesa region, particularly in the Black Sea? 🔗 Read more: uwecworkgroup.info/underwater-m...

6 May

2/ Do these “underwater migrants” pose threats to species typical of the #BlackSea ecosystem? Is the arrival of new species always a negative for all living organisms?