Ukraine to Seek Unprecedented $44 Billion Claim from Russia for War-Driven Emissions Surge

Ukraine is preparing to file a landmark $44 billion claim against Russia for the climate damage caused by wartime emissions — the first attempt by any nation to seek compensation for greenhouse gases released during armed conflict. Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the COP30 summit in Brazil, Deputy Minister Pavlo Kartashov said the war has triggered massive environmental destruction, from polluted land and water to extensive forest loss. But one of the largest impacts, he noted, is the spike in emissions from fossil fuel use, cement, steel, and widespread fires linked to the fighting. Dutch carbon accounting expert Lennard de Klerk estimates the war has produced roughly 237 million tons of CO₂-equivalent emissions since Russia’s invasion in February 2022 — nearly equal to the combined annual emissions of Ireland, Belgium, and Austria. Ukraine’s $44 billion figure is based on the 2022 Nature study placing the social cost of carbon at about $185 per ton. The claim will be submitted through a new Council of Europe compensation mechanism, which has already logged around 70,000 individual claims for wartime damage. A dedicated commission will review all submissions, though it remains unclear how compensation will ultimately be financed. De Klerk suggested frozen Russian assets may offer one potential source.