Russian forces destroy protected areas on Dnipro's left bank in Kherson region

He said this on Espreso TV. 

“As for the environmental situation, the natural environment of the Kherson region has been suffering for more than a year since the start of hostilities. The Kinburn Spit and the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve are now occupied by Russian invaders, who are directly located in these protected areas and mercilessly cut down the forest. Last year, they carried out artificial arson attacks on the floodplains and forest belt to smoke out our military and the local resistance movement that opposed the occupiers in those territories,” the head of the Kherson Hub humanitarian project said. 

Roman Holovnia added that the Russians also mined the floodplains, the coastal zone, and the shore - these are places that will be very difficult to clear.

“It is known that a large area of the Kherson region is sandy. The Oleshky Sands are moving due to natural conditions, i.e. wind, so this poses a significant threat in terms of detecting hidden enemy ammunition and then neutralizing it. I would like to note that the Oleshky Sands is the largest desert in Europe, and it is also the largest example of human intervention to stop the movement of sands by planting forests. Now these forests are being cut down and burned by the occupying Russian forces, which creates significant difficulties for the protected environment and farmers on the left bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region,” he said.

• On May 10, the head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration reported on the results of counter-sabotage measures during the three-day curfew in the Kherson region.

• On May 11, a resident of the Kherson region hit a mine and died as a result of his injuries.