Irrelevant to the aggressor: animals and their fate in the war against Ukraine T he war against Ukraine started in 2014 Russian Federation killed 10,500+ civilians , and more than 5 million people are internally displaced persons and refugees in the world. Russian forces are causing severe destruction and environmental consequences, including air, soil, and water pollution; flooding; extensive loss of arable land; and damage to nature reserves. These effects include widespread forest fires, even within the Chornobyl exclusion zone, and the degradation of ecosystems essential to biodiversity in Ukraine. In liberated regions, the impact persists as destroyed sewage treatment plants remain non - operational, sources of contamination (such as wrecked armoured vehicles and ruined industrial sites) are unaddressed, and vast areas remain contaminated with explosive residues, making cleanup efforts challenging. As of March 1, 2022, preliminary assessments reveal that approximately 900 nature reserves, spanning 12,406 + km² , around one - third of Ukraine’s nature reserve areas , have been affected by occupation and combat operations. Additionally, nearly 200 areas within the Emerald Network, covering 2.9 million hectares, face potential destruction. The Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group reports that military occupation impacts approximately 44% of Ukraine’s most valuable protected lands, threatening long - term ecolog ical stability and conservation efforts. T he war affected human animals , the world of plants , buildings, and non - human animals. Animals , both human and non - human , are the focus of this essay. The most common problems for the occupied nature reserve fund s (NRF) were the loss of control over compliance with the regime of Ukrainian NRF institutions (and the absence of a russian alternative), damage to the territory by russian equipment, construction of trenches, fortifications and craters from explosions, inability to buy food for animals (zoos, the Biosphere Reserve “ Askania Nova ” ), frightening of animals, failure to care for animals D estruction of animal pens, mining of the territory, a humanitarian crisis among employees (inability to buy food, electricity, heating; complete isolation from resources and the possibility to leave the territory ; inability to use hryvnia , robberies, shelling and the risk of being kidnapped or shot as an official or activist, a surge in poaching in humanitarian crisis zones, seizure, robbery and destruction of offices of institutions 1 1 Українська Природоохоронна Група. (2022, April 22] , URL: https://uncg.org.ua/zakhyshchaiuchys - vid - zsu - rosiiany - rujnuiut - zapovidnyky/ , 27.10.2024. In this page were used AI programs such as Grammarly to correct grammatical errors and enhance punctuation, along with DeepL AI Translator to ensure translation from Ukrainian sources. This leads us to the conclusion that non - human animals are often seen as collateral damage or non - prioriti s ed beings in the eyes of the aggressor. During the war , the focus of perpetrators often shifts toward their political, military or strategic goals, leav ing non - human animals (often human too, from the other side) to suffer from ignorance or direct harm because of the wish to achieve the goals at any cost. Aggres s ors in war may view animals primarily as an obstacle or utility, as object s to be exploited for food, labo u r or other purposes. The fate and existence of non - human animals are irrelevant in the broader narratives of conflict. Often , humans from both sides focus more on human casualties, the results of political or military actions, rather than on other non - human species, the environment , etc. If they had thought and t aken it seriously , there would be no sense of beginning the war because it is impossible to have a war without damage to the environment and non - human animals. We must deal with a hierarchical view of life that places h uman interests (often human s from the aggressor side above all) of other species above , and not worthy enough to think about it. The institutionalism portrayed in zoos or biosphere reserves didn’t help in preventing animal suffering there, neither during military action nor during the occupation (neglect of the russian occupants to provide s ufficient care to those institutions ). Although i nternational law requires occupants to take care of an occupied territory This leads to the description of this sociolo gical phenomenon as s peciesism , described in Animals and the Law , first chapter 2 . In a small digression, I will allow myself to mention the decreasing priority of even a human who stands for the protection of life and nonhuman animal rights even in an aggressor society, which can be explained by the fact that a person is considered a freak if he or she gives a different or higher priority than the ‘accepted’ one Thinking about non - human animals’ fate for the aggressor country seems absurd today. How can we think about non - human animals’ rights, if even basic human rights are not followed during the conflicts? Especially in authoritarian countries with weak civil societies , as in the Russian Federation , where it seems to be an absurd idea, as it was described in P.Singers’ “Ani mal Liberation”: “Animal Liberation” may sound more like a parody of other liberation movements than a serious objective. The idea of “The Rights of Animals” was once used to parody the case for women’s rights.” 3 2 Schaffner, J.E. (2011). Animals and the Law: The Basics. In: An Introduction to Animals and the Law. The Palgrave Macmillan Animal Ethics Series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230294677_1 3 Peter Singer, Animal Liberation: The Definitive Classic of the Animal Movement (Updated ed., Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2009), p. 28. DeepL AI Translator was used to translate from Ukrainian language But outside of russia, does animal suffering count in reparations? There is limited historical precedent for directly compensating animal suffering in war reparations, environmental damages, which inherently but indirectly include harm to non - human animals , have been recognised and compensated according to international law. The evolving legal frameworks and emphasis on animal welfare suggest that future reparations could include animal suffering ( with non - human animals ). In the case of a just peace for Ukr aine, there is potential for reparations to include measures that address the fate of all animals affected by the war, aligning with commitments toward environmental and ecological restoration. An interesting case of including non - human animals in reparations, as a part of the environment , happened a fter the 1991 Gulf War Iraq was held responsible for environmental damages caused by setting Kuwaiti oil wells on fire and spilling oil into the Persian Gulf. The United Nations Compensation Commission was established to process claims against Iraq. The UNCC awarded funds for e nvironmental remediation, which included the restoration of wildlife habitats and ecosystems affected by the war. While not di rectly compensating for animal suffering, the reparations covered the broader environmental impact, indirectly addressing the harm to non - human animals. 4 The International Law Commission of the UN adopted draft principles concerning the protection of the environment in armed conflicts. These principles acknowledge the need to protect natural resources and biodiversity during and after conflicts. Given the evolving legal and moral perspectives, future reparations may more explicitly include compensation for animal suffer ing, especially if the harm can be documented. 5 Nevertheless, I doubt that reparation for animal suffering can be directly included; animals do not have citizenship or proper legal status as entities , in a human - animal way , which is essential for understanding current law and bureaucracy. “The brightest invention” of the russian armed forces in Ukraine is ecocide. During his speech at the G20 summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky labelled Russia’s environmental crimes in Ukraine as "ecocide" and urged the global community to unite in In this page were used AI programs such as Grammarly to correct grammatical errors and enhance punctuation, along with DeepL AI Translator to ensure the best translation from Ukrainian sources, ChatGPT by OpenAI for fast and optimized footnote and reference creation s 4 United Nations. (2022, February 28). Iraq makes final reparation payment to Kuwait for 1990 invasion. UN News. https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/02/111163 5 United Nations International Law Commission. (2022). Draft articles on prevention and punishment of crimes against humanity, with commentaries . Retrieved from https://legal.un.org/ilc/texts/instruments/english/draft_articles/8_7_2022.pdf efforts to protect the environment. 6 According to the official state sources, Russia’s actions have result ed in: 1. 182,880+ square meters of soil contaminated with harmful substances 2. 23,286+ hectares of forest burned by Russian missiles and shells 3. Over 1,000,000 + non - human animals were killed due to Russian aggression 7 4. Approximately 50,000+ dolphins perished in the Black Sea and continue to be affected 8 5. Nearly 500 damaged or destroyed water treatment facilities 9 On June 6, 2023, Russian occupying forces committed an act of eco - terrorism by detonating the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station. 10 As a result of the destruction of the power plant by Russian forces in June 2023, there was a large - scale flooding of land across approximately 80 settlements. This terrorist act, committed by the Russian Federation, has seriously impacted the region. At l east four national parks, a biosphere reserve, and other areas are located within the disaster zone. The Nature Ecology & Evolution study found that around half a million hectares of protected freshwater and terrestrial habitats were severely threatened. T he study showed that the breach had resulted in the death of thousands of fish, the emptying of the Kakhovka reservoir and the erosion of sediments, which led to pollutant releases. 11 6 UNIAN. (2023, September 9). Zelenskyi rozpoviv pro ekotsyd RF v Ukraini [Zelensky speaks about Russia’s ecocide in Ukraine]. UNIAN. https://www.unian.ua/ecology/zelenskiy - ropoviv - pro - ekocid - rf - v - ukrajini - 12046140.html 7 Kyiv School of Economics. (2024). Russia’s damage to Ukraine: Assessment report (RDNA3) https://kse.ua/wp - content/uploads/2024/02/RDNA3_eng.pdf This page utilized AI programs such as Grammarly to correct grammatical errors and enhance punctuation, along with DeepL AI Translator to ensure the best translation from Ukrainian sources. 8 Suspilne Odesa. (2022, October 31). Cherez vijnu u Chornomu mori zahynulo blyzko 50 tysyach delfiniv [Due to the war, about 50,000 dolphins died in the Black Sea]. Suspilne Media. https://suspilne.media/odesa/300288 - cerez - vijnu - u - cornomu - mori - zaginulo - blizko - 50 - tisac - delfiniv/ 9 Ukrinform. (2023, October 24). Chorne more ye osnovnym obiektom otsinky ekolohichnoi shkody, zavdanoi Rosiyeiu – Yevrokomisar [The Black Sea is the main focus of ecological damage assessment caused by Russia – EU Commissioner]. Ukrinform. https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric - economy/3793046 - corne - more - e - osnovnim - obektom - ocinki - ekologicnoi - skodi - zavdanoi - rosieu - evrokomisar.html 10 Shmyhal, D. [@Denys_Smyhal]. (2023, October 24). Post [Telegram post]. Telegram. https://t.me/Denys_Smyhal/5316 11 The Kakhovka Dam Breach Environmental Assessment Group. (2024). A rapid environmental risk assessment of the Kakhovka Dam breach. Nature Ecology & Evolution , 8(12), 1745 – 1750. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559 - 024 - 02373 - 0 In this page were used AI programs such as Grammarly to correct grammatical errors and enhance punctuation, along with DeepL AI Translator to ensure the best translation from Ukrainian sources, ChatGPT by OpenAI for fast and optimized footnote and reference creation s In Ukraine , symbols like plants and animals occupy a special place. Their images are often reflected in national emblems, folklore, place names, surnames, etc. For example, "People have always been grateful for the presence of swallows, considering them as carriers of happiness, h ope, rebirth and home warmth. In spring songs, carols and folk ceremonies, swallows brought spring and dawn." 12 In addition, the author draws attention to the statement of the Ukrainian writer Taras Prokhasko: " For me, the life of a plant and a person is of equal importance. I appreciate the life that God has given and I often want to talk about the fact that there are so many forms of life around us that we do not notice, do not value and do not recognize as equ als." 13 , adding that this text was conceived before the award of the Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk and her famous novel "Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead" (2009) set a broad ethical paradigm for the relationship between humans and animals T o outline the models of animal reflection in the modern Ukrainian language, it is necessary to reckon with the double formula of the literary representation of animals as a sign: the signifier and the signified . Adding that in the corpus of texts, we usually deal with strategies of signification through the animalistic element of the human world and man – this is a broad perspective of discourses, images and models. In them, the human subjugates the animal in a similar way to how the male subjugates the fe male: by the power of power/the power of force. 14 From the standpoint of eco - criticism and ecofeminism, animalism activates new contexts. As a result, the author concluded that the theme of animals and ecocentrism in Ukrainian literature is gradually regaining their artistic space. In Ukrainian prose, the strongest position is still held by folklore animalistic with its obligatory attributes of animals as symbols, allegories, archetypes or ornamental code s . Creative writing, as history shows, subtly responds to the transformations of global paradigms of t hinking. Therefore, the penetration of ecological discourses into the context of national literature should be considered as synchroni s ation with the rhythm of world culture. After all, it is aimed at the 12 GreenPost. (n.d.). Symbols of Ukraine: Plants and animals . Retrieved November 11, 2024, from https://greenpost.ua/blogs/symvoly - ukrayiny - roslyny - ta - tvaryny - i63378. 13 Prokhasko, T. (2014, February 8). "I really love being a writer, but I really don't like writing." Interview by Y. Kushnir. Website of the Old Lion Publishing House. Retrieved from https://starylev.com.ua/news/taras - prohasko - ya - duzhe - lyublyu - buty - pysmennykom - ale - strashenno - ne - lyublyu - pysaty In this page were used AI programs such as Grammarly to correct grammatical errors and enhance punctuation, along with DeepL AI Translator to ensure the best translation from Ukrainian sources, ChatGPT by OpenAI for fast and optimized footnote and reference creation s 14 Kontur.media, opt. cit. formation of a new intellectual landscape, in which the ecological occupies one of the central niches. 15 To better understand what an animal can mean for the average Ukrainian , it is worth exploring the role and place of animals in the Ukrainian language. I believe that we can start with the etymological analysis of the word – tvaryna (animal) Tvaryna is feminine, any creature as opposed to a plant or a person 16 Domestic animals (sviys’ki tvaryny) are tamed, not wild animals and birds that live at home and serve humans. Domestic animals (cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, etc.) are especially useful. (Zool., 1957 ) Abusive version : Tvaryna (man) - A rude, mean person. Every day, a drunken corporal comes to the ghost to report on everything that is happening in the village. And each time the ghosts must treat this animal (Chab., Balkan Spring, 1960, 77). 17 According to the Etymological Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language of the Institute of Linguistics. O.O. Potebni of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. There is a connection with the Proto - Slavic language, where "tvarь" means "creation, creation." In russian dictionaries word for animal is zhivotnoye. According to “Malyy akademicheskiy slovar” (dictionary) the word zhivotnoye is neuter gender and has 3 meaning s : 1 ) Any living being, excluding plants. 2) A living being as opposed to a human being, 3) 2. colloquial, about a rude person, with base instincts, etc. 18 This is a separate topic, how cultural and linguistic background influenced the attitude of an entire nation(s) towards animals, especially during war. Do you think if the russian federation context w ere different, it would influence the war and the fate of non - human animals in Ukraine? One of the last subtopic s of this essay is a hierarch y of care during the rescue of non - human animals. It is one of the starkest con tr asts in wartime rescue efforts between companion non - human animals and farm one s . Companions often have direct rescue operations because th e y are viewed as direct family members, whereas farm animal s are l ess important . Often , it is easier to forget that they are capable of suffering too. Although this 15 Ibidem. Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, Institute of Linguistics. (1970 – 1980). Dictionary of the Ukrainian language: In 11 volumes (I. K. Bilodid, Ed.). Naukova Dumka. (Vol. 10, p. 45). 17 Ibid. 18 Mas, A. (n.d.). Животное. In Большой толковый словарь русского языка онлайн. Retrieved December 29, 2024, from https://gufo.me/dict/mas/животное In this page were used AI programs such as Grammarly to correct grammatical errors and enhance punctuation, along with DeepL AI Translator to ensure the best translation from Ukrainian sources, ChatGPT by OpenAI for fast and optimized footnote and reference creation s isn’t always about hierarchie s of care, what was mentioned before, rescues are often limited by resources, safety concer n s (aggressor behaviour), and limited logistics (especially with the large animals). Despite that, some farmers and volunteers decide to start the rescue of farm animals. This can be explained from different perspectives: from the higher position of farm animals in the hierarchy of care to the worldview and empathy level of some human s The last thing I wanted to discuss is why some animal protection organi s ations and activists are i gn oring russian crimes in Ukraine It is a clear conflict of interest between political activity and moral responsibility. In the case of non - human animal right activism (often called animal protection, which is also interesting from the point of view of linguistics), many of them depend on international funding, taking a side in the war against Ukraine could lead to restrictions and “loss” of opportunity for some of activists and organi s ations, or there is a fear of consequences in the future because we don’t know who will win . Standing against a powerful aggressor is not worth of effort, especially when the victim is just Ukraine and not a previously known, often discriminated group. Even within non - human animal protection circles, there can be a hierarchy of priorities and victims. And of course , we cannot exclude the previously mentioned factor that in large - scale humanitarian crises, public attention gravitates toward human casualties, leaving war crimes against animals underreported. In conclusion, war remains a hard topic to discuss and analyse for most people. The destructive character of war is present everywhere. The fate of non - human animal s in the conflicts can be described as sad, injustice, and hopeless. The preparation of nation - states , international organi s ations , and law is not enough to ensure non - human animal safety before the start of the conflict , under occupation or military actions. Neither after the conflict to morally justify and compensate (if it is possible to use t his word in this context) non - human animal losses in terms of rebuilding and restoring endangered environment s and species. The crisis of institutionalism of zoos, biosphere reserves, ecological institutions , etc. , becomes even worse during the war. The i rrelevance of non - human animals to the aggressor is influenced by the cultural and linguistic context of the country or society. We should do more to increase attention to non - human animal suffering during wars, as this topic is often ignored or lost in the background of human - animal tragedies. As a result, we should come up with a set of solutions , both universal and ad - hoc , to ensure that non - human animals are relevant, despite not having legal personality or nationality ( does a pet passport count?) , before, during and after the war. Bibliography Books and Academic Publications 1) Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, Institute of Linguistics. (1970 – 1980). Dictionary of the Ukrainian language: In 11 volumes (I. K. Bilodid, Ed.). Naukova Dumka. (Vol. 10, p. 45). 2) Singer, P. (2009). Animal Liberation: The Definitive Classic of the Animal Movement (Updated ed.). Harper Perennial Modern Classics. 3) Schaffner, J.E. (2011). Animals and the Law: The Basics. In: An Introduction to Animals and the Law. The Palgrave Macmillan Animal Ethics Series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. 4) Усманова, А. (2007). Насилие как культурная метафора: вместо введения [Violence as a cultural metaphor: Instead of an introduction]. In А. Усманова (Ed.), Визуальное (как) насилие. Сборник научных трудов (p. 9). Вильнюс: ЕГУ. 5) The Kakhovka Dam Breach Environmental Assessment Group. (2024). A rapid environmental risk assessment of the Kakhovka Dam breach. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 8(12), 1745 – 1750. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559 - 024 - 02373 - 0 6) Kontur.Media . (n.d.). Animal images in contemporary Ukrainian literature. Retrieved November 11, 2024, from https://kontur.media/animal_suchukrlit/ 7) GreenPost. (n.d.). Symbols of Ukraine: Plants and animals. Retrieved November 11, 2024, from https://greenpost.ua/blogs/symvoly - ukrayiny - roslyny - ta - tvaryny - i63378. 1 . Reports 8) Kyiv School of Economics. (2024). Russia’s damage to Ukraine: Assessment report (RDNA3). Retrieved from https://kse.ua/wpcontent/uploads/2024/02/RDNA3_eng.pdf. 9) United Nations International Law Commission. (2022). Draft articles on prevention and punishment of crimes against humanity, with commentaries. Retrieved from https://legal.un.org/ilc/texts/instruments/english/draft_articles/8_7_2022.pdf. 2 . News Articles 10) Suspilne Odesa. (2022, October 31). Cherez vijnu u Chornomu mori zahynulo blyzko 50 tysyach delfiniv [Due to the war, about 50,000 dolphins died in the Black Sea]. Retrieved from https://suspilne.media/odesa/300288 - cerez - vijnu - u - cornomu - mori - zaginulo - blizk o - 50 - tisac - delfiniv/. 11) Ukrinform. (2023, October 24). Chorne more ye osnovnym obiektom otsinky ekolohichnoi shkody, zavdanoi Rosiyeiu – Yevrokomisar [The Black Sea is the main focus of ecological damage assessment caused by Russia – EU Commissioner]. Retrieved from https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric - economy/3793046 - corne - more - e - osnovnim - obektom - ocinki - ekologicnoi - skodi - zavdanoi - rosieu - evrokomisar.html. 12) UNIAN. (2023, September 9). Zelenskyi rozpoviv pro ekotsyd RF v Ukraini [Zelensky speaks about Russia’s ecocide in Ukraine]. Retrieved from https://www.unian.ua/ecology/zelenskiy - ropoviv - pro - ekocid - rf - v - ukrajini - 12046140.html. 13) United Nations. (2022, February 28). Iraq makes final reparation payment to Kuwait for 1990 invasion. UN News. Retrieved from https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/02/111163. 3.Online Dictionaries 14) Mas, A. (n.d.). Животное. In Большой толковый словарь русского языка онлайн. Retrieved December 29, 2024, from https://gufo.me/dict/mas/животное 4. AI 15) DeepL Translation AI 16) Grammarly AI 17) ChatGPT by Open AI 5. Blogs and Online Media 18) Українська Природоохоронна Група. (2022, April 22). Захищаючись від ЗСУ, росіяни руйнують заповідники [Defending themselves from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russians destroy nature reserves]. Retrieved October 27, 2024, from https://uncg.org.ua/zakhyshchaiuchys - vid - zsu - rosiiany - rujnuiut - zapovidnyky/. Social Media Posts 19) Shmyhal, D. [@Denys_Smyhal]. (2023, October 24). Post [Telegram post]. Telegram. Retrieved from https://t.me/Denys_Smyhal/5316. 6 . Interviews 20) Prokhasko, T. (2014, February 8). “I really love being a writer, but I really don’t like writing.” Interview by Y. Kushnir. Website of the Old Lion Publishing House. Retrieved from https://starylev.com.ua/news/taras - prohasko - ya - duzhe - lyublyu - buty - pysmennyk om - ale - strashenno - ne - lyublyu - pysaty.