Міжнародно-правові засади охорони навколишнього середовища в умовах воєнного стану: виклики для України

Abstract

Стаття присвячена дослідженню міжнародно-правових засад охорони навколишнього природного середовища в умовах воєнного стану. Підкреслюється, що збройна агресія російської федерації виявляється в забрудненні та знищенні об’єктів природи, що має довготривалі негативні екологічні наслідки не тільки для України, а й для сусідніх держав. Констатується, що ведення агресивної війни російською федерацією на території України призводить до лісових пожеж, забруднення водойм, земель, об’єктів природнозаповідного фонду, знищення середи існування тваринного світу тощо.

The article is dedicated to the study of international legal foundations for environmental protection during a state of war. It is emphasized that with the onset of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into the territory of sovereign and independent Ukraine, numerous environmental crimes have become one of the tragic themes in the context of the armed attack. In conditions of martial law, when the territory of Ukraine is under the threat of armed aggression and violations of its territorial integrity by the aggressor state, ensuring ecological security becomes an extremely challenging task. Armed actions on the territory of Ukraine lead to violations of citizens' environmental rights, cause significant long-term negative consequences, and result in damage to the environment, particularly through the pollution of the atmosphere, water resources, soils, as well as the destruction of natural ecosystems and biodiversity, among others. The facts outlined in the article represent a gross violation of the Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Methods of Warfare that Affect the Natural Environment, the Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 concerning the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I), and the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxic Weapons and on Their Destruction. By undermining the provisions of international legal instruments, the Russian Federation systematically causes unlawful harm to the environment of Ukraine, which will have long-lasting consequences for the environment and public health. A number of natural objects have been destroyed as a result of Russian aggression, and the damaged ecosystems will require decades to recover. Polluted areas may remain uninhabitable for flora and fauna even after the hostilities cease. The article stresses the need for increased international attention to issues concerning the implementation of international legal instruments in the field of environmental protection during armed conflicts, as well as the formation of mechanisms for compensating for the damage caused to the natural environment.