The damage caused to Ukraine’s environment by Russia’s invasion already exceeds $60 billion and counting. “The consequences of such crimes also extend to other countries, in particular, in Moldova and Romania”, declared Ukraine’s Minister of Environmental Protection Ruslan Strilets, as quoted by Ucrinform.

The statement was made during a joint press briefing with his Moldovan counterpart, Sergiu Lazarencu, marking last week’s signing of a bilateral agreement to implement the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Trans-boundary Context (Espoo).

"Today we already have more than 5,500 such cases of crimes against the Ukrainian environment by the enemy. The total losses already exceed 60 billion dollars, and this number unfortunately is only growing," said Strilets.

He recalled a major fire in a Odesa port, whose thick smoke polluted the air in Moldova as well. “This is cross-border impact and it’s a completely different responsibility. When the time comes to calculate the damages, I think that not only Ukraine will be entitled to compensation in the future as a result of the armed aggression”, the official said.

For his part, the Moldovan Minister of the Environment, Sergiu Lazarencu, agreed that the environmental harm of the war is not limited by borders. “We will work together to reduce the negative effects on the environment, while also ensuring that all social, economic and infrastructure projects are developed without compromising nature”, the minister said.