19:09 21.10.2024

Ukraine seeking ways to bring Russia to justice for environmental damage – minister

2 min read

 Ukraine together with international partners is currently studying ways to hold Russia accountable for its environmental crimes, Environment Protection and Natural Resources Minister of Ukraine Svitlana Hrynchuk has said Monday.

"We have already recorded 6,000 cases [of Russia's environmental crimes]. They were recorded mainly by our environmental inspectorate, the National Police, law enforcement agencies, and it is about more than 65 billion [...] losses. We are also working very actively with the Prosecutor General's Office: they are already investigating 222 criminal cases and here, also thanks to our cooperation with international partners, all these cases are considered, as well as analyzed by international partners and solutions are being developed to help Ukraine legally in order to prepare all these cases for consideration in international courts," she said on the national telethon.

According to Hrynchuk, there are a large number of mechanisms to hold the aggressor accountable.

"This is the use of frozen assets, and direct collection by court ruling," she said.

The minister expressed hope that Ukraine's experience in recovery of environmental damages from the aggressor will serve as a good example for other countries.

"Now we are working on all this and Ukraine sees it as a very clear example. In principle, the entire international community is interested in this: to use our example to show the aggressors (we are now talking not only about Russia, but also for the future: if there are intentions, let's say, to carry out military actions on the territory of other countries) that the damage to the environment will have to be paid for and it will be a kind of preventive measure," she said.

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