The Russian invasion not only threatens the lives of 39 million Ukrainians but also endangers biodiversity, in particular, greater spotted eagles. The front line and artillery fire are altering the migration path of this endangered species, as well as causing irreversible damage to the environment.
The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine is exacerbating the plight of the greater spotted eagle, a species already close to extinction. The eagles rely on Ukraine as a stopover during their migration to Belarus, where they lay their eggs.
The fighting has disrupted the migratory zone of the greater spotted eagle, forcing 15% of the population to change their routes. Scientists stress the importance of the breeding process for the survival of this species, whose numbers are already very low, estimated between 3,900 and 10,000 individuals.
85 kilometers on average
According to a study carried out by British and Estonian researchers, birds change their routes by an average of 85 km to avoid the dangers of war, such as artillery fire or the concentration of troops at the front. By altering their usual feeding point and adding an average of 55 hours to their travel time, the greater spotted eagles risk exhaustion, and, above all, being unable to feed their eaglet chicks in Belarus, as their prey will have already migrated elsewhere.
“No doubt about it. I think the take-home story is that the conflict in Ukraine is fundamentally disrupting the migratory ecology of this species. For a vulnerable species like this, anything that disrupts breeding performance is a major problem,” says Jim Reynolds, Professor of Ornithology and Animal Conservation at the University of Birmingham.
The scientists, who have been tracking the species’ migration by GPS since 2017, have published their study in the scientific journal Current Biology and explain that, although no eagles have died as a direct result of the war, military activity is disrupting nesting, the birds’ reproduction, and “threatening the declining population.” Greater spotted eagles are classified as a vulnerable species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list.
“The war in Ukraine has had a devastating impact on people and the environment. Our findings provide a rare window into how conflicts affect wildlife,” said Charlie Russell, lead author of the study and researcher at the University of East Anglia in Norwich.
The environment: a collateral victim of war
Armed conflict is an extreme anthropogenic disturbance for animal species. A study published in 2009 by the Society for Conservation Biology shows that two-thirds of areas at risk of biodiversity loss experienced major conflicts between 1950 and 2000.
Areas containing unexploded ammunition remnants are extremely dangerous for both animals and humans. Today, 30% of Ukraine’s territory is in this situation.
The estimated 56 billion dollars worth of environmental damage caused by the war in Ukraine has affected more than 6 million Ukrainians, forcing them to flee the country. But those who remain could testify to the environmental degradation, particularly through fires.
Often ignited by bombings, the fires released 17 million tonnes of CO2 in a single year, emitting fine particles and numerous toxic substances into the air. At the start of the conflict, Ukraine claimed Russia of using incendiary bombs with white phosphorus.
All in all, the Russian invasion would be responsible for the emission of at least 150 million tonnes of CO2 since 2022, more than the annual emissions of an industrialized country like Belgium.
