SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
Swedish eco-activist Greta Thunberg (L), Vice President of European Parliament Heidi Gautala (2nd L), former Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Margot Wallstrom (C), Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak (2nd R) and former Irish President Mary Robinson (R) attend a press conference after the first meeting of the International Working Group on Environmental Consequences of Military Actions held in Kyiv, Ukraine on June 29, 2023.
Thunberg said Russian forces "are deliberately targeting the environment and people's livelihoods and homes."
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg condemned the "ecocide" wrought by Russia's invasion of Ukraine as she visited Kyiv Thursday.
Thunberg was there to meet with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as part of a newly formed working group with other European leaders to assess and remedy the ecological destruction caused by the war.
"Ecocide and environmental destruction is a form of warfare… as Ukrainians by this point know all too well—and so does Russia," Thunberg said at a press conference reported by The Journal.
"I do not think that the world reaction to this ecocide was enough."
Thunberg added that Russian forces "are deliberately targeting the environment and people's livelihoods and homes. And therefore also destroying lives. Because this is after all a matter of people," according to The Associated Press.
The goal of the working group is to investigate the extent of ecological damage in Ukraine, determine ways of holding Russia to account, and start to repair the damage. In addition to Thunberg, members include former Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Margot Wallström, European Parliament Vice President Heidi Hautala, and former Irish President Mary Robinson.
"The environment should no longer be the silent victim of war," Ukraine's prosecutor general Andriy Kostin tweeted Thursday on the occasion of the meeting.
Kostin said that the war had seeded around 30% of Ukraine's land area with explosives and damaged more than 2.4 million hectares of forest.
"The blowing up of the Kakhovka Dam caused the most significant environmental disaster in Ukraine since Chernobyl," he added.
The June 6 dam collapse flooded large swaths of territory in southern Ukraine and the Russian-occupied region of Kherson, Reuters reported. The collapse killed dozens, forced around 2,200 people from their homes in Ukrainian-controlled territory, spilled hundreds of tons of engine oil into the Dnipro River, and threatened drinking water supplies, according to The Journal and Doctors of the World. The incident initially severely affected around 17,000 people and could impact more than 42,000. Both Russia and Ukraine have blamed the other for the collapse, Reuters reported.
Thunberg also criticized the international community for their response.
"I do not think that the world reaction to this ecocide was enough," she said. "We have to talk louder about it, we have to raise awareness about what is going on."
Kostin said that Ukraine was the first country to prosecute environmental war crimes and ecocide "on a massive scale."
Ukraine is investigating more than 200 war crimes against the environment and 15 incidents of ecocide, he said.
"We call for strengthening international efforts to investigate and prosecute Russia's war crimes against the environment and to ensure that the aggressor pays for the enormous damage caused by these crimes," he tweeted.
Zelensky said the working group was "a very important signal of supporting Ukraine," The Journal reported. "It's really important, we need your professional help."
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg condemned the "ecocide" wrought by Russia's invasion of Ukraine as she visited Kyiv Thursday.
Thunberg was there to meet with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as part of a newly formed working group with other European leaders to assess and remedy the ecological destruction caused by the war.
"Ecocide and environmental destruction is a form of warfare… as Ukrainians by this point know all too well—and so does Russia," Thunberg said at a press conference reported by The Journal.
"I do not think that the world reaction to this ecocide was enough."
Thunberg added that Russian forces "are deliberately targeting the environment and people's livelihoods and homes. And therefore also destroying lives. Because this is after all a matter of people," according to The Associated Press.
The goal of the working group is to investigate the extent of ecological damage in Ukraine, determine ways of holding Russia to account, and start to repair the damage. In addition to Thunberg, members include former Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Margot Wallström, European Parliament Vice President Heidi Hautala, and former Irish President Mary Robinson.
"The environment should no longer be the silent victim of war," Ukraine's prosecutor general Andriy Kostin tweeted Thursday on the occasion of the meeting.
Kostin said that the war had seeded around 30% of Ukraine's land area with explosives and damaged more than 2.4 million hectares of forest.
"The blowing up of the Kakhovka Dam caused the most significant environmental disaster in Ukraine since Chernobyl," he added.
The June 6 dam collapse flooded large swaths of territory in southern Ukraine and the Russian-occupied region of Kherson, Reuters reported. The collapse killed dozens, forced around 2,200 people from their homes in Ukrainian-controlled territory, spilled hundreds of tons of engine oil into the Dnipro River, and threatened drinking water supplies, according to The Journal and Doctors of the World. The incident initially severely affected around 17,000 people and could impact more than 42,000. Both Russia and Ukraine have blamed the other for the collapse, Reuters reported.
Thunberg also criticized the international community for their response.
"I do not think that the world reaction to this ecocide was enough," she said. "We have to talk louder about it, we have to raise awareness about what is going on."
Kostin said that Ukraine was the first country to prosecute environmental war crimes and ecocide "on a massive scale."
Ukraine is investigating more than 200 war crimes against the environment and 15 incidents of ecocide, he said.
"We call for strengthening international efforts to investigate and prosecute Russia's war crimes against the environment and to ensure that the aggressor pays for the enormous damage caused by these crimes," he tweeted.
Zelensky said the working group was "a very important signal of supporting Ukraine," The Journal reported. "It's really important, we need your professional help."
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg condemned the "ecocide" wrought by Russia's invasion of Ukraine as she visited Kyiv Thursday.
Thunberg was there to meet with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as part of a newly formed working group with other European leaders to assess and remedy the ecological destruction caused by the war.
"Ecocide and environmental destruction is a form of warfare… as Ukrainians by this point know all too well—and so does Russia," Thunberg said at a press conference reported by The Journal.
"I do not think that the world reaction to this ecocide was enough."
Thunberg added that Russian forces "are deliberately targeting the environment and people's livelihoods and homes. And therefore also destroying lives. Because this is after all a matter of people," according to The Associated Press.
The goal of the working group is to investigate the extent of ecological damage in Ukraine, determine ways of holding Russia to account, and start to repair the damage. In addition to Thunberg, members include former Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Margot Wallström, European Parliament Vice President Heidi Hautala, and former Irish President Mary Robinson.
"The environment should no longer be the silent victim of war," Ukraine's prosecutor general Andriy Kostin tweeted Thursday on the occasion of the meeting.
Kostin said that the war had seeded around 30% of Ukraine's land area with explosives and damaged more than 2.4 million hectares of forest.
"The blowing up of the Kakhovka Dam caused the most significant environmental disaster in Ukraine since Chernobyl," he added.
The June 6 dam collapse flooded large swaths of territory in southern Ukraine and the Russian-occupied region of Kherson, Reuters reported. The collapse killed dozens, forced around 2,200 people from their homes in Ukrainian-controlled territory, spilled hundreds of tons of engine oil into the Dnipro River, and threatened drinking water supplies, according to The Journal and Doctors of the World. The incident initially severely affected around 17,000 people and could impact more than 42,000. Both Russia and Ukraine have blamed the other for the collapse, Reuters reported.
Thunberg also criticized the international community for their response.
"I do not think that the world reaction to this ecocide was enough," she said. "We have to talk louder about it, we have to raise awareness about what is going on."
Kostin said that Ukraine was the first country to prosecute environmental war crimes and ecocide "on a massive scale."
Ukraine is investigating more than 200 war crimes against the environment and 15 incidents of ecocide, he said.
"We call for strengthening international efforts to investigate and prosecute Russia's war crimes against the environment and to ensure that the aggressor pays for the enormous damage caused by these crimes," he tweeted.
Zelensky said the working group was "a very important signal of supporting Ukraine," The Journal reported. "It's really important, we need your professional help."