russian occupants destroyed a recreational area in the occupied Crimea – Bakal Spit, – expert of the Institute of Botany

This was stated during the International Forum of the Crimean Platform Expert Network “Foreseeing the Future: Expert`s View” by Sofia Sadogurska, expert of the NGO “Ecodia”, PhD, researcher, M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

“The russian occupiers conducted illegal sand mining on the Bakal Spit, which is located in the northwest of the Crimean peninsula. The spit was partially damaged and now it is an island,” she said. 

According to the expert, the occupied Crimean peninsula has turned into a military base of the occupiers, whose actions affect not only the nature of the peninsula, but also marine ecosystems. 

“Mines, underwater explosions, destruction of port infrastructure, invasive species are not a complete list of negative impacts on the environment. These are all factors of marine pollution,” said Sadogurska. 

The expert emphasizes that when it comes to environmental threats, we cannot separate the marine ecosystem and the coastal zone – they are interconnected.