This cross-border series explores how military activity and war reshapes the landscape and how damaged land can be restored. By connecting current findings from Ukraine with Czech experience from former Soviet military zones such as Ralsko and Milovice, the project shows how traces of past use remain embedded in the environment, and what they reveal about the long, often fragile process of recovery.
Through field reporting, expert interviews and analysis of scientific data, the investigation maps the extent of soil contamination caused by heavy metals, explosives and oil residues. It compares ongoing research in Ukraine with decades of remediation efforts in Czechia, identifying both successful approaches and persistent challenges.
Main findings by Ekonews:
- The Czech Republic has invested more than CZK 1.5 billion in the remediation of areas previously used by the Soviet army. Although the clean-up was expected to be completed by 2022, the process continues due to insufficient funding and the long-term complexity of contamination.
- Czech researchers and companies are already active in Ukraine and have the expertise to contribute to environmental recovery. However, recent government decisions have limited financial support for their involvement, slowing down potential knowledge transfer.
- Czech scientists are increasingly engaged in research on Ukraine’s environmental recovery. They stress that restoration will take decades, but that early mapping of damage, identifying both the sources and extent of contamination, is essential for planning effective and realistic clean-up strategies.
Summary from Rubryka:
The topic of soil restoration and decontamination has become particularly popular among scientists after the full-scale invasion, especially in the last two years. Various investigations are underway, some of them include attempts to regenerate soils with the help of vegetation, but so far everything is at the development stage, since such large-scale areas of contamination, as are currently present in Ukraine, require new approaches.
There is currently no state mechanism that would directly oblige to clean up territories from contamination caused by the war (except for mines).
Farmers use various methods for cleaning up land, and developing mechanisms will require further cooperation between farmers, scientists and representatives of state authorities.
Photo by CTK
