About 5 million Ukrainians do not have access to drinking water due to Russian aggression in Ukraine, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Ruslan Strilets said.
"The Russians are using all possible levers of terror on the territory of Ukraine, including dewatering the country. The occupiers do not shy away from any methods, and the whole world knows about it today," the minister wrote.
He noted that due to Russia's aggression:
- 5 million Ukrainians do not have access to drinking water;
- 70% of the population of Ukraine may be left without water;
- the release of water from the Kakhovka Reservoir threatens to disrupt the cooling systems of the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, the largest in Europe. This would mean a possible Fukushima scenario in the middle of the European continent through Russia;
- Ukraine is losing water infrastructure due to constant missile attacks.
The minister stressed that Ukraine needs reparations for full post-war recovery. Russia must pay for every square of land destroyed and every drop of water polluted.
Recently, the UN Under-Secretary-General said that the states bordering Ukraine are concerned about the impact of the war on their environment. Ukraine estimates the damage caused by the war with Russia at UAH 2 trillion.