The international exhibition #StopEcocideUkraine, dedicated to the consequences of the Russian war on nature and animals in Ukraine, has come to an end in Brussels. The event was organized by UAnimals, Animal Society, and Territory of Participation with the support of the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa). The exhibition ran from November 8 to 14 at the Ukrainian Voices Residence.
The project combined art, journalism, and documentary evidence of ecocide to draw the international community’s attention to the destruction of the Ukrainian environment.
Two events, dozens of guests, and the participation of representatives of European institutions
The exhibition was visited by guests from EU countries, employees of international organizations, representatives of European institutions, diplomats, and civil society activists. The event became an important platform for discussing the consequences of war and strengthening international cooperation in the field of environmental protection.
The program included two special events:
- November 8 — opening of the exhibition and first screening of the film almanac;
- November 12 — thematic evening with speakers and repeat screening of the film.
On all other days, the exhibition was open to the public.
What was shown at the exhibition?
Visitors had the opportunity to see 20 works by six Ukrainian war photographers. The exhibition featured works by:
- Serhiy Korovayny;
- Iryna Rybakova;
- Oleksandra Zborovska;
- Dmytro Hreshko (footage from the film Divia);
- Taras Fedorenko;
- Volodymyr Chepely.
Their photographs capture the destruction of Ukrainian nature, the death of animals, and the consequences of fires, shelling, explosions, and man-made disasters caused by the war.
Guests also had the opportunity to watch a film anthology «Animals of War» — seven short stories created by Sota Cinema Group. It is a documentary and artistic reconstruction of real events that demonstrate how war changes the lives of animals — wild, domestic, and farm animals.
A special place at the exhibition was given to artifacts from UAnimals rescue missions — four items, each with its own story. These artifacts complemented the visual content and showed the scale of the daily work that UAnimals has been doing since the first days of the full-scale war.
Who spoke at the event?
The following speakers addressed the international audience:
- Inna Stroikova , Manager of Corporate Partnerships at UAnimals;
- Thomas Hecquet , Chairman of the Board of Animal Society;
- Yulia Ovchinnikova, Member of Parliament of Ukraine, co-chair of the Humane Country Interfactional Parliamentary Association, environmentalist (video message);
- Oleksii Makukhin, Producer of “Animals of War.” (video message);
- Alina Smyshliak, PR and Corporate Social Responsibility Director at Kormotech;
- Valeriia Volyk, PR Lead at U-Hearts Ukraine, Kormotech’s flagship partner driving systemic social change in animal welfare;
- Yurii Tokarskiy, U-Hearts Foundation, executive director.
The speakers discussed russia’s systematic environmental crimes, the need for an international response, the role of civil society organizations, and the importance of documenting ecocide.
“russia is destroying Ukrainian nature as ruthlessly as it is destroying our cities. Ecocide is part of this war. And I sincerely thank each of the guests of the event for coming, listening, and supporting us. Together, we will not allow this crime to go unnoticed,” emphasized Inna Stroykova, Senior Manager of Corporate Partnerships at UAnimals, during the opening.
Why is this exhibition important?
The russian invasion has caused:
- the death of more than 6 million animals,
- damage to more than 25% of Ukraine’s protected areas,
- large-scale fires, chemical pollution, flooding, and destruction of ecosystems.
The world needs to know about this. The exhibition in Brussels became part of an international campaign to advocate for the recognition of ecocide and to strengthen accountability for crimes against nature.
Partnerships and impact
Five partner institutions joined the organization. The event was widely covered by speakers, the media, and international organizations, which significantly strengthened the informational impact of the project in Europe.
Preparation took more than three months, from August to November 2025.
UAnimals and its partners strive to make ecocide in Ukraine a visible and recognized topic on the global agenda.
