Latvia urges UN action against Russia as war causes environmental damage in Ukraine

At a high-level UN Security Council meeting in New York, Latvian Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dace Melbārde called for increased international pressure on Russia. She urged nations to target Russia’s missile production ecosystem to halt its ongoing aggression against Ukraine.

Melbārde highlighted that Russia’s actions undermine the UN Charter and threaten global food security by attacking humanitarian convoys, civilian vessels, and vital Black Sea grain routes. She also noted the exploitation of vulnerable populations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America for the conflict.

Parallel to the political escalation, the war is causing severe environmental degradation in Ukraine. Following missile and drone strikes in Kyiv, air pollution levels reached PM2.5 concentrations nearly ten times the World Health Organization’s daily limit.

Lyudmyla Tsiganoka, head of the Ukraine Ecologists Association, warned that the long-term impact of explosives, fuel, and heavy metals like lead on the soil poses a lasting threat to the food chain and public health, potentially leading to increased rates of cancer and heart disease in the future.