The European Union has provided 250 million euros for the restoration of the Black Sea

The EU plans to allocate €250 million to support Ukrainian scientists and restore the Black Sea ecosystem. Part of the funds will go to direct grants for researchers, and the rest will go to competitive projects that stimulate the participation of Ukrainian institutions in European research programs.

This was reported by the press service of the Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

Ukraine Crisis Media Center hosted a media briefing "Consequences of the Russian ecocide in the Black Sea: Ukraine's commitments and international response mechanisms" organized by the Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the Ukrainian Scientific Center for Marine Ecology. Experts discussed water pollution, the death of marine species and the destruction of unique ecosystems, as well as steps to build an evidence base for the international prosecution of Russia for ecocide.

Permanent Representative Olha Kuryshko emphasized the importance of systematic data collection on the consequences of the occupation of Crimea, which became especially relevant after the fuel oil spill from Russian tankers in December 2024. She said that Ukraine has already presented its research at international conferences and has received significant interest from foreign experts in the state of marine ecosystems in the occupied Crimea.

According to Oleh Hryb, Director of the Ukrainian Scientific Center for Marine Ecology, the Black Sea has actually been turned into a dangerous training ground where hostilities leave long-term consequences for nature. Explosions, wreckage, flooded ships and the explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant have caused chemical and noise pollution, and the war is complicated by the lack of full monitoring of sea waters.

Viktor Komorin, Deputy Director for Science, noted that analyzes of water and soil after the hydroelectric power plant explosion showed an excess of harmful substances by tens or hundreds of times, and in fish and dolphin tissues by thousands of times. He warned that seafood from some areas of the Odesa coast could be dangerous to consume.

According to Pavel Goldin, Doctor of Biological Sciences, the mining of the northwestern coast of Crimea and the use of Cape Chauda as a military training ground led to large-scale fires and the destruction of critical natural areas.

Environmentalist Vladyslav Mykhailenko explained the role of the Horizon Europe program for Ukrainian scientists. He noted that for 2026-2027, the European Commission has already provided 50 million euros for direct support to Ukrainian participants and another 200 million for competitive applications that stimulate the participation of Ukrainian researchers in European research projects and allow them to attract resources to restore the Black Sea ecosystem.

And Vladyslav Balinsky from the National Ecological Center of Ukraine reminded about the long-term consequences of the Russian tanker accident, which actually lasts until September 2025. He spoke about the developed methodology for tracking pollution sources and the need for international support in responding to such cases.

Summing up, Yevhen Bondarenko, Head of the Mission's Information Support Department, emphasized that the war and occupation of Crimea have been going on for almost 12 years, and only the return of the peninsula under Ukraine's control will allow restoring the natural resources and world heritage of the Black Sea.

Last year, Intent wrote that the restoration of the ecology of southern Ukraine could take decades. The Black Sea has been particularly affected by chemical pollution, fuel oil and the aftermath of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant explosion. Its natural recovery will take a long time. One of the most tragic consequences of the war is the mass death of dolphins.

Анна Бальчінос