{"id":53223,"date":"2026-02-24T08:59:43","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T06:59:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uanimals.org\/?p=53223"},"modified":"2026-02-24T08:22:55","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T06:22:55","slug":"four-years-of-full-scale-war-millions-of-lives-lost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uanimals.org\/en\/news\/four-years-of-full-scale-war-millions-of-lives-lost\/","title":{"rendered":"Four Years of Full-Scale War \u2014 Millions of Lives Lost"},"content":{"rendered":"

February 24 marks four years since the beginning of russia\u2019s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The war has been ongoing since 2014, but this date became the point when active hostilities spread across most regions of the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

That morning, like millions of Ukrainians, we woke up to explosions. Alongside people, those who cannot hide in shelters or decide to relocate away from the frontline were also drawn into the war \u2014 animals.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the first days of the full-scale invasion, it became clear: alongside the humanitarian catastrophe, another disaster was unfolding \u2014 an environmental one. Over these years, the war has destroyed entire ecosystems and killed millions of animals.<\/span><\/p>\n

How Many Animals Have Died in Ukraine?<\/b><\/h2>\n

According to official estimates, more than <\/span>6 million farm animals<\/b><\/span> have died in Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale war. These figures were cited by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the G20 summit. These numbers include only confirmed data from farming enterprises.<\/span><\/p>\n

The exact scale of losses is impossible to calculate. Some territories remain occupied, and the vast majority of cases were never formally documented.<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, from the first days of the full-scale invasion, russian forces occupied several protected natural areas, including the Askania-Nova Biosphere Reserve, whose ecosystem included more than <\/span>500 plant species<\/b><\/span> and over <\/span>3,000 animal species<\/b><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

In total, eight nature reserves and ten national parks have been occupied. Some of these territories are part of Europe\u2019s protected natural network. According to estimates, more than <\/span>80 species of animals<\/b><\/span> in Ukraine are on the verge of extinction and may become completely extinct due to russian aggression.<\/span><\/p>\n

Environmental Destruction<\/b><\/h2>\n

According to the State Environmental Inspectorate of Ukraine, confirmed environmental damages have already <\/span>exceeded 6 trillion hryvnias<\/b><\/span>. Among them:<\/span><\/p>\n