Ho-ho-ho! Gather ’round, my merry friends, for a tale not of jolly elves and flying reindeer, but of a rather grim chapter from the land of Ukraine, where the clatter isn’t from sleigh bells, but from the echoes of conflict. In February 2022, a storm brewed, not of snowflakes, but of war, as Russia’s invasion brought about the largest skirmish Europe has seen since the days of World War II.

Now, as we all know, the environment is like the silent snowfall on a winter’s night—often overlooked. But in this tale, the environment took a hit, and a group of diligent elves—well, actually, government agencies, civil society, and international bodies—have been busy compiling a list, checking it twice, to find out the environmental impacts of this not-so-nice war.

Using a sack full of search terms like “Ukraine,” “Russia,” and “ecocide,” these folks have been as busy as my workshop in December, uncovering the toll of the conflict. Nearly half a million soldiers have been on the naughty list, either wounded or sent to the eternal winter’s rest, with over 30,000 civilians joining them, not to mention the countless others suffering from the war’s icy grip on health.

More than 11 million souls have been displaced, their homes no longer cozy for the holidays. Russia’s military, like a blizzard, has blanketed civilian infrastructure with destruction, leaving Ukraine’s economy colder than the North Pole and snatching away the warmth of food and energy security from many a stocking.

The environmental damage? A whopping $56.4 billion! Chemicals have tainted the air, water, and soil like a bad batch of eggnog, and landmines have scattered across the land like unwelcome coal in a stocking. Protected areas, once as pristine as fresh snowfall, now bear the scars of war.

And let’s not forget the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and the Nova Kakhovka Dam—two ticking time bombs that could turn the landscape into a winter wasteland for years to come. These aren’t just lumps of coal; they’re threats to human health and the very earth we walk upon.

In the spirit of the season, we must remember that peace on earth also means tending to our natural workshop. International law, like the rules of my own North Pole, calls for warfare to be as kind to Mother Nature as possible. To find true peace, we must not only mend hearts but also the environment—both natural and built—that has been torn asunder.

So, as we sip our cocoa and hang our stockings with care, let’s not forget the importance of protecting our planet, even amidst the clamor of war. For a just and lasting peace is the greatest gift we can give, to Ukraine and to the world. Merry restoration to all, and to all a good night! 🎅🎄