Thousands of birds died in a national park in the Odesa region after missiles struck

Thousands of birds are dying as a result of Russian missile strikes on the Tuzly Estuaries National Nature Park in the Odesa region. In addition, constant explosions and drone flights are forcing the birds to abandon their nests, which threatens their reproduction.

Ivan Rusev, Ph.D. in Biology and head of the national park’s research department, spoke about this in an interview with the media.

According to the biologist, the situation in the Black Sea is critical. Scientists estimate that the total number of dead dolphins has already reached 20,000 in the first half of 2026 alone, and over 100,000 since the start of the full-scale invasion.

“95% of the bodies sink. And even of the 5% that wash ashore, we manage to identify only a small fraction. That’s why documenting the dead dolphins is a race against time,” Rusev said.

He noted that residents of the park’s estuary zone—which encompasses 13 estuaries—are also suffering severely.

“Missile explosions, particularly those of‘Iskander’missiles, and the impact of‘Shahed’ drones have devastating consequences for birds. We have documented cases where thousands of birds died after missile strikes,” the biologist said.

According to the scientist, the situation with the pink flamingos, which settled in the national park shortly before the start of the full-scale invasion, is of particular concern.

In 2023, Rusev noted, the birds successfully raised their young—200 chicks hatched that year, and scientists banded 18 of them and were able to track their wintering routes.

However, in 2024 and 2025, the flamingos were unable to nest. The biologist explained that due to the constant noise of explosions and the flights of Russian drones, the birds abandon their egg clutches, which are subsequently destroyed by seagulls.

This year, according to Ivan Rusev, nesting attempts are once again being observed in the park. At the same time, scientists fear that hostilities could once again destroy the colonies, so they are trying to disturb the birds as little as possible.

According to the scientist, the war is putting enormous pressure on both resident and migratory birds. Researchers continue to collect data that will eventually allow them to assess the actual decline in the species’ population.

Rusev explained that the park’s territory lies along the birds’ migration route from Africa to the tundra.

“The Tuzly Estuaries are a critically important ecosystem for them, with unique salinity levels and specific food sources,” the biologist noted.

According to him, because of the war, the birds are frightened, forced to change their route, and lose energy—as a result, they simply cannot reach their nesting sites.

“This leads to a decline in reproductive success and an overall reduction in population sizes,” Rusev concluded.

Ірина Глухова