UAH 37 billion war-caused agricultural losses in Kharkiv region, – government

Source: Ukraine’s economy ministry

In Kharkiv region, agricultural losses due to the soil damage as a result of the full-scale Russian invasion amount to almost 37 billion hryvnias.

Researchers have developed and tested a comprehensive damage assessment methodology in Kharkiv region, 61% of which territory was affected by the hostilities.

The study consisted of three stages: geospatial analysis of high-precision satellite images to determine arable land and the degree of damage by ammunition and military equipment, electronic maps of soil types, and the level of their erosion.

The strikes directly damaged 4.2 thousand hectares of arable land and 28.2 thousand hectares could be potentially contaminated with explosives. Another 3.4 thousand hectares of soil were damaged due to the movement of heavy military equipment.

The local authorities believe that the results of the research and detailed maps for each community will help in demining the territories and will make it possible to prove that the products grown in a certain area are not contaminated and dangerous.