Ukraine intends to demand nearly $44 billion from the Russian Federation as compensation for environmental damage caused by climate change due to armed aggression. This was stated by Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Economy Pavlo Kartashov during the COP30 climate summit in Brazil.
This is reported by Business • Media
Unique Lawsuit for Environmental Losses
The Ukrainian side is preparing a lawsuit against Russia for damages related to the sharp increase in greenhouse gas emissions during hostilities, as well as the large-scale destruction of forests and natural resources. According to Kartashov, this will be the first case in the world where a state officially demands compensation from another country for climate change caused by war.
“Significant damage has been inflicted on water, land, and forests. We have a huge amount of additional CO₂ and greenhouse gas emissions,”
– emphasized Pavlo Kartashov.
Scale of Emissions and Compensation Mechanisms
According to experts, since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, additional CO₂-equivalent emissions have reached approximately 237 million tons. This volume is comparable to the total annual emissions of Ireland, Belgium, and Austria combined. The cost of public losses from CO₂ emissions is estimated by experts at $185 per ton.
Ukraine’s lawsuit will be submitted through a new compensation mechanism initiated by the Council of Europe. It is noted that about 70,000 Ukrainian citizens have already filed similar claims for war damages. Analysts believe that billions of dollars frozen in accounts of the Russian Federation could be used to cover the financial demands.
In addition to the impact of hostilities on emission levels and the destruction of infrastructure, including the demolition of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station, large-scale pollution of the Black Sea continues, which exerts additional pressure on the region’s ecosystem.