They are the people who protect Ukraine’s forests, steppes, wetlands, islands, nature reserves, and national parks — places that safeguard the country’s unique biodiversity.
For more than four years, the work of Ukraine’s protected-area professionals has also become a fight for the survival of nature itself.
Some of Ukraine’s nature reserves remain under occupation. Others have been mined, scorched by wildfires, or damaged by shelling. In many cases, these protected areas have become inaccessible even to the people who care for them.
As a result of Russia’s aggression, nearly 900 protected natural areas, covering more than 1.2 million hectares, have been damaged or remain under threat. Among them are Oleshky Sands, Askania-Nova, Kamianska Sich, Sviati Hory, Biloberezhzhia Sviatoslava, Velykyi Luh and many others.
For the Zaporizhzhia region, this issue is especially meaningful. Khortytsia, Velykyi Luh, and the Dnipro floodplains are not only unique natural landscapes—they are places where the history of the Ukrainian Cossacks was shaped, where our memory and identity were forged.
By protecting nature, we also protect our history, our culture, and our right to remember.
Today, we want to celebrate the beauty of Ukraine’s protected areas—those that remain open, those temporarily closed, and those still under occupation. Every one of them is part of Ukraine, and we will preserve and restore them. 🇺🇦
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