Legal Status of War-Damaged Forests in Ukraine: Challenges and Solutions

This article examines the unprecedented impact of the Russian Federation’s armed aggression against Ukraine on the country’s forest resources and forest management system. The war has caused large-scale and multidimensional losses, including damage to approximately three million hectares of forest, among them unique protected areas, widespread contamination by explosive ordnance, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and a substantial reduction in ecosystem services, estimated at US$250 billion per year. Using an integrated approach that combines legal analysis, ecological damage assessment, and policy review, the study identifies critical gaps in Ukraine’s forestry legislation. In particular, the Forest Code of Ukraine lacks legal categories such as “forests damaged by military operations” and “forests destroyed by military operations.” This omission complicates the accounting of war-related losses, the establishment of special management regimes, and the inclusion of environmental damages in international reparation claims. The analysis highlights the challenges posed by large-scale wildfires, mine contamination, infrastructure destruction, and workforce shortages that hinder post-war forest recovery. To address these challenges, the article proposes a framework for post-war reform, including the creation of a national legal regime for war-affected forests, the development of methodologies for quantifying and monetizing ecosystem service losses, and the adoption of a unified national forest restoration strategy aligned with international environmental commitments. It also emphasizes prioritizing demining in ecologically valuable areas, applying advanced technologies, such as satellite monitoring, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and artificial intelligence (AI), and securing sustainable financing through national and international channels. The findings contribute to the formulation of a comprehensive model for rebuilding Ukraine’s forestry sector and provide valuable insights for the international community on restoring natural resources and ecosystem services in post-conflict environments.