Feb. 10, 2026, 1:02 p.m.
(PHOTO: State Environmental Inspectorate of the Southwestern District)
Experts from the State Ecological Inspectorate of the Southwestern District have calculated the environmental damage caused by a fire on irrigation fields in Odesa in August 2025.
According to the inspection, the fire released harmful combustion products into the air and destroyed natural vegetation.
In August 2025, a large-scale fire caused by the burning of garbage occurred in the irrigation fields along Khadzhibeyska Road in Odesa. The fire quickly spread to the reeds, which led to a significant fire and significant negative environmental impact. According to the results of the calculations, the environmental damage amounted to almost UAH 97.5 million.
The fire started on the initiative of a local pensioner who decided to burn garbage on the side of the Khadzhibey road. The woman failed to control the spread of the flames.
The pensioner's case has now been sent to court. She is charged with air pollution with substances harmful to the environment, which caused serious consequences. The maximum penalty for this crime, if the woman is found guilty, is five years in prison with or without deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for up to three years.
Meanwhile, the fire that engulfed the Stentsiv-Zhebriyanivsky floodplains of the Danube Biosphere Reserve on January 3-4, 2026, caused UAH 5 billion in environmental damage. According to the inspection, the fire destroyed about 645 hectares of floodplain vegetation and reeds, which led to significant damage to the region's natural ecosystems. As a result of the fire, almost 466 thousand tons of pollutants were released into the air, of which 459 thousand 756 tons were carbon dioxide. Such emissions have a negative impact on air quality and climate processes.
Кирило Бойко