'Environmental Destruction Is a Form of Warfare': Thunberg Joins Ecocide Investigation in Ukraine

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg condemned the "ecocide" wrought by Russia's invasion of Ukraine as she visited Kyiv Thursday.

Thunberg was there to meet with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as part of a newly formed working group with other European leaders to assess and remedy the ecological destruction caused by the war.

"Ecocide and environmental destruction is a form of warfare… as Ukrainians by this point know all too well—and so does Russia," Thunberg said at a press conference reported by The Journal.

"I do not think that the world reaction to this ecocide was enough."

Thunberg added that Russian forces "are deliberately targeting the environment and people's livelihoods and homes. And therefore also destroying lives. Because this is after all a matter of people," according to The Associated Press.

The goal of the working group is to investigate the extent of ecological damage in Ukraine, determine ways of holding Russia to account, and start to repair the damage. In addition to Thunberg, members include former Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Margot Wallström, European Parliament Vice President Heidi Hautala, and former Irish President Mary Robinson.

"The environment should no longer be the silent victim of war," Ukraine's prosecutor general Andriy Kostin tweeted Thursday on the occasion of the meeting.

Kostin said that the war had seeded around 30% of Ukraine's land area with explosives and damaged more than 2.4 million hectares of forest.

"The blowing up of the Kakhovka Dam caused the most significant environmental disaster in Ukraine since Chernobyl," he added.

The June 6 dam collapse flooded large swaths of territory in southern Ukraine and the Russian-occupied region of Kherson, Reuters reported. The collapse killed dozens, forced around 2,200 people from their homes in Ukrainian-controlled territory, spilled hundreds of tons of engine oil into the Dnipro River, and threatened drinking water supplies, according to The Journal and Doctors of the World. The incident initially severely affected around 17,000 people and could impact more than 42,000. Both Russia and Ukraine have blamed the other for the collapse, Reuters reported.

Thunberg also criticized the international community for their response.

"I do not think that the world reaction to this ecocide was enough," she said. "We have to talk louder about it, we have to raise awareness about what is going on."

Kostin said that Ukraine was the first country to prosecute environmental war crimes and ecocide "on a massive scale."

Ukraine is investigating more than 200 war crimes against the environment and 15 incidents of ecocide, he said.

"We call for strengthening international efforts to investigate and prosecute Russia's war crimes against the environment and to ensure that the aggressor pays for the enormous damage caused by these crimes," he tweeted.

Zelensky said the working group was "a very important signal of supporting Ukraine," The Journal reported. "It's really important, we need your professional help."