Ukraine’s animals are also victims of the war
Though foxes have thrived
The war in Ukraine, now two years old, has affected animals as well as humans—but not equally. Military activity is almost certainly responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Black Sea dolphins; but Ukraine’s ban on wartime hunting has been good for foxes, whose numbers have exploded. The war has also caused untold ecological damage. Forests and steppe have burned and land and water have been contaminated by explosives and chemicals. At the beginning of this year the Ukrainian government claimed that the war had already caused some $56bn of damage to the country’s environment.
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This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “On the wild side”
Europe March 9th 2024
- Europe’s new-look winter: floods, high sea levels and melting glaciers
- Ukraine’s animals are also victims of the war
- Why France has made abortion a constitutional right
- The damage done by Russia’s hack of Germany’s defence ministry
- Moving weapons around Europe fast is crucial for deterring Russia
- Fifty shades of brown: how splits in Europe’s hard right sap its power
From the March 9th 2024 edition
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Marine Le Pen spooks the bond markets
She threatens to bring down the French government, but also faces a possible ban from politics
The maths of Europe’s military black hole
It needs to spend to defend, but voters may balk
Ukraine’s warriors brace for a Kremlin surge in the south
Vladimir Putin’s war machine is pushing harder and crushing Ukrainian morale
Vladimir Putin fires a new missile to amplify his nuclear threats
The attack on Ukraine is part of a new era of missile warfare
A rise in antisemitism puts Europe’s liberal values to the test
The return of Europe’s oldest scourge
Once dominant, Germany is now desperate
As an election looms its business model is breaking down