Russia's brutal war in Ukraine will soon have been going on for a year. But just as we start to think we have seen it all, a new spectre arises: Putin, orchestrator of climate armageddonAnother name for the world's end. It originally described the location of a battle during the Biblical apocalypse..

Environmental specialists have raised concerns in recent days about rapidly falling dolphin populations around the Black Sea. Over 2,500 dead dolphins have been discovered on Ukrainian shores, with estimated thousands more at the bottom of the ocean.

Many believe that the massacre is the result of naval sonar used by Russian submarines, which are thought to cause serious acousticRelated to sound or hearing. trauma to dolphins.

Dolphins are not the only concern. The war has had far-reaching impacts on agriculture, ecosystems, biodiversity, water supplies and air quality.

At COP27The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as the Conference of the Parties (COP). last year, Ukraine claimed that Russia's invasion has led to the emission of 33 million tonnes of greenhouse gasesGreenhouse gases, which increase the atmosphere's capacity to hold heat, are vital to life on Earth: without them the planet would be freezing. But human activity is disturbing the delicate balance that created the conditions for life as we know it. Carbon dioxide is responsible for 60% of the manmade greenhouse effect, but we also produce smaller quantities of methane, ozone and nitrous oxide, which are even more damaging. - the equivalent of adding 16 million cars to our roads for two years.¹

The invasion has also put around 600 animal and 750 plant and fungi species at risk, as soldiers have bombed important conservation areas.

The impact on human environments in cities, towns and villages is also horrifying. Shelling and explosions release toxic lead, mercury and depleted uranium particles into the air, making even breathing dangerous.

Some say that Russia's ongoing assault on Ukraine is just the tip of the iceberg. Climate change and war are self-perpetuatingWhen something causes itself to continue to exist - or by existing makes itself worse. , they claim. Of the 25 nations most vulnerable to climate change, more than half are ongoing conflict regions.

As the statistics show, countries affected by climate disasters are more likely to go to war, causing more climate damage in the process. When will the cycle end?

Yes: Every impact of this war is going to have repercussions for centuries, but we should pay particular attention to the environmental hazards. We are reaching breaking point with climate change and should take this more seriously.

No: Our first priority should always be the direct human impact. Russia's intention is not to destroy the environment, but rather to attack the Ukrainian population. We need to focus on this first and foremost.

Or... It is natural for humans to sympathise most with what we understand, which is the impact of war on human life, relationships and culture. But many of these ecological side-effects will also have an impact on human health and lives for decades to come, so we need to keep them in mind.