Assessment of environmental quality degradation in Donbass due to annual combat actions

Based on data on the means of warfare used in the Donbass in the period 24.02.2022-24.02.2023. obtained from open sources, an analysis of the adverse effects of military operations on the environment was carried out. By calculation, using reference materials, the main types of threats and environmental hazards in the region were assessed. It has been established that the power of explosives used in a year corresponds to 13 nuclear weapons dropped on Hiroshima; emission of pollutants into the atmosphere is equivalent to 240 years of operation of the Alchevsk Iron and Steel Works; the air volume exceeding the MPC corresponds to a hypothetical cloud with a volume of 220-940 km3, 3000-4000 km2 of the surface layer are contaminated with metal fragments with a concentration of up to 0.173 kg/m3. The given quality of the state of the environment requires an appropriate understanding and response to ensure normal life in the territories.