Crime of Ecocide in Ukraine - Environmental Consequences of Russian Military Aggression

Since ancient times, humans have sought to shape nature, whose strict laws had to be respected for survival. However, over the past two centuries, human behavior and attitudes have increasingly reflected an attempt to dominate nature, harnessing all natural resources for personal gain, thereby exacerbating the conflict between the natural cyclical processes of the biosphere and the linear processes driven by human-created technologies, culminating in an „ecological crisis”.

The causes of this crisis are primarily attributed to the industrial civilization that emerged in the mid-19th century, which brought about profound and rapid environmental changes.

Natural resources were increasingly exploited, cultivated areas expanded, agricultural systems altered, massive deforestation occurred for timber and new farming land, pasturelands were intensively used, and subsoil exploitation grew. Concurrently, industrial civilization facilitated and necessitated rapid population growth led to intense urbanization, and concentrated large human populations in increasingly confined spaces, placing humans in entirely new living conditions.

Acquiring the ability to transform nature, humans initially did not consider the need for rational, balanced conditions for life and development. Only later did humans realize they were both the creators and the creation of their surrounding environment, essential for biological and intellectual existence.

The irrational exploitation of renewable resources (forests, flora, fauna, etc.) and non-renewable resources (mineral wealth of the subsoil) intensified the harmful impact of human actions on nature. 

Ecocide offenses are essentially severe ecological crimes, either global or regional in scale, with irreversible consequences for both nature and humanity. Because they threaten human security, ecocide offenses are prioritized in legal frameworks.

A paradox of humanity lies in the fact that while humans are part of nature, they also pose the greatest threat to the environment. The impression that the environment is indestructible is a misconception; nature mirrors and absorbs the negative impact of human activity globally. In contrast to humanity, „flora, fauna, water, and air” know no national or customs borders.

In this context, through the proposed study, we aim to bring clarity to the historical evolution of ecocide as a criminal offense, its legal recognition, and the current approach to military aggressions as negative factors causing harm to the environment and its ecosystems.

Russia's military aggression against Ukraine brings losses not only in human, social, territorial, and financial terms but also in ecological terms. It must be internationally recognized, particularly, that the environmental damage caused by military actions leads to the irreversible disappearance of certain flora and fauna species. Establishing a causal link between the aggressor's military actions, we can assert with certainty that these consequences will inevitably harm not only Ukraine's territorial jurisdiction but will also have cross-border ramifications affecting neighboring states.

Furthermore, we aim to analyze the impact of Russia's military aggression in the context of environmental damage, qualifying it as an international crime, specifically, the crime of ecocide.

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