On Russia’s Invasion and Environmental Devastation of Ukraine: An Introduction to the Toxic Remnants of War

Apr 26, 2022 | Thomas Persico
View Original

TRW is not an easily defined concept. Many organizations have varying definitions of TRW, but the most common definition of TRW is: “any toxic or radiological substance resulting from military activities that form a hazard to humans or ecosystems.” TRW are also created after the fighting has ceased through abandoned military materiel, critical infrastructure usage, industrial site usage, military activity in populated locations, governance collapse (which leads to a lack of control over environmental regulation), loss of assessment capacity, and the collapse in waste management.

On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded eastern and northern Ukraine. Perhaps the most unsettling instances of TRW may stem from the takeover of the Chernobyl and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plants. Aside from the apparent dangers of encamping soldiers at Chernobyl, there are also many less obvious dangers. One is in spreading contaminated soil across Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus.

The crisis in Ukraine is a fertile ground for several types of TRW. From Russia’s exploitation of water sources in besieged areas, to the indirect effect that the Russian invasion will now have on energy use and its sources, to the obvious perils inherent in an attack on a nuclear power plant. A thorough understanding of what TRWs are, and how to spot the problems they create, will put the international community in a better position to provide solutions and aid.