Eco-activist Greta Thunberg visits Ukraine, meets Zelensky.

Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg arrived in Ukraine to discuss the ecological consequences of the Kakhovka dam destruction with President Volodymyr Zelensky, the President's Office informed[1] on June 29. Zelensky hosted a meeting of the International Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of War, which, along with Thunberg, included Swedish former foreign minister Margot Wallstrom, Vice-President of the European Parliament Heidi Gautala, and former Irish President Mary Robinson. Zelensky said the Working Group should study the consequences of the Kakhovka dam destruction, including civilian deaths and damage to agriculture and biodiversity in southern Ukraine.

"It is important to propose a set of concrete measures to help Ukrainians from temporarily occupied settlements. These are our people, who should receive the necessary support at such a difficult moment," Zelensky said. He emphasized that Russia should bear full responsibility for the crime of ecocide in Ukraine.

Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg arrives in Ukraine together with the International Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of War, on June 29, 2023. (Photo credit: President's Office)

Thunberg thanked for the invitation and said she will involve representatives of environmental organizations in the tasks of the Working Group in Ukraine in order to draw attention to the consequences of the war.

Zelensky addressed[2] the world's environmental protection community on June 8, stressing that Russia needs to bear responsibility for the ecocide it caused through the Kakhovka dam destruction. On June 15, Thunberg attended[3] a rally against ecocide in Ukraine held in Bonn, Germany. "All I can say (to Ukrainians): We support you, peace is near, we see everything that is happening.

The attention of the whole world is now focused on Ukraine and Russia. We will not stand idly by. Be strong, we are with you," the eco-activist said at the rally.

After Russia's destruction[4] of the Kakhovka dam on June 6, Ukraine's south has suffered massive floods and a large-scale humanitarian and environmental crisis. This included pollution of water and soil, death of animal and plant life, and drying of the Kakhovka Reservoir.

This Week in Ukraine Ep.

11 - Russia's destruction of Ukrainian dam, and catastrophic flood it caused Episode #11 of our weekly video podcast "This Week in Ukraine" is dedicated to Russia's destruction of Ukraine's Kakhovka dam, and the catastrophic flood it caused.

Host Anastasiia Lapatina is joined by the Kyiv Independent reporter Igor Kossov. Listen to the audio version of the podcast on Apple,...

[5] Martin Fornusek

News Editor

Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press.

He also volunteers as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukrainer. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.

References

1. ^ informed (www.president.gov.ua)
2. ^ addressed (kyivindependent.com)
3. ^ attended (www.eurointegration.com.ua)
4. ^ destruction (kyivindependent.com)
5. ^ This Week in Ukraine Ep.

   11 - Russia's destruction of Ukrainian dam, and catastrophic flood it causedEpisode #11 of our weekly video podcast "This Week in Ukraine" is dedicated to Russia's destruction of Ukraine's Kakhovka dam, and the catastrophic flood it caused. Host Anastasiia Lapatina is joined by the Kyiv Independent reporter Igor Kossov.

   Listen to the audio version of the podcast on Apple,... (kyivindependent.com)