Russian air defense fire destroys one thousand hectares in Askania-Nova reserve

In the Kherson region, almost a thousand hectares of steppe burned down in the occupied Askania-Nova Biosphere Reserve as a result of Russian air defense operations.

This was reported on the page of the F.E. Falz-Fein Askania-Nova Reserve.

It was noted that a large-scale fire raged on the territory of the reserve for two days, on July 1 and 2.

According to Sentinel-2 satellite images, the fire covered 942 hectares of the protected area in the Pivdennyi massif, as well as about 104 hectares of agricultural land around it. According to preliminary data, the fire was caused by a Russian anti-aircraft system based directly on the territory of the reserve.

Photo: Askania-Nova Biosphere Reserve

At the same time, the Russian occupation administration was quick to blame the fire on "enemy drones" without providing any evidence.

Experts reminded that this was not the first case: on August 22, 2023, a large fire broke out in the same area - the Velykyi Chapelskyi Pid area - after the fall of the wreckage of a Russian air defense missile. And on September 1, 2023, the area within the Uspenivka site burned down, and the current fire partially overlapped with the previous one.

Photo: Askania-Nova Biosphere Reserve named after F.E. Falz-Fein

Unique steppe ecosystems suffered the greatest losses. In particular, habitats with rare plant communities of Stipeta ucrainicae and Stipeta capillatae, which are protected by the Green Book of Ukraine, burned down.

Thus, dozens of species of flora and fauna, many of which are found nowhere else in the world, are under threat.

Despite these facts, the occupation authorities are busy not restoring the environment, but calculating the damage that they cynically attribute to the "consequences of Ukrainian aggression."

The Askania NovaBiosphere Reserve is a unique protected area in Ukraine, which is included in the list of the oldest steppe reserves in the world. It is located in the Kherson region, Kakhovka district, near the village of Askania-Nova of the same name.

The reserve was established in 1898 by Baron Friedrich Faltz-Fein, who dedicated his life to the preservation of wildlife. Area: 33.3 thousand hectares, of which more than 11 thousand hectares are virgin steppe, which has never been cultivated by humans. It is a member of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves and part of the Emerald Network of Europe.

"Askania-Nova is one of the few areas in Europe where an untouched steppe landscape with natural flora and fauna has been preserved. Since February 24, 2022, the reserve has been under occupation. In April 2024, information about the critical condition of the facility was reported. Before the war, more than 3000 species of animals lived here, including 27 species from the IUCN Red List and 7 species from the Red Book of Ukraine. Many collections of rare animals were almost lost during the occupation.

Ірина Глухова