Desna Poisoning: How a Dump from a Russian Factory Killed All Life in and Around the Legendary Ukrainian River

Sergii Kostezh | September 16, 2024, 1:00 pm

"Attention! Swimming and fishing are prohibited!" reads a warning sign on the "Golden Coast" beach, the main beach of Chernihiv on the Desna River.

The beach is empty. Earlier, in September, hundreds of people would still gather here. Now it’s 26°C outside, but there’s no one in sight.

The reason is an unexpected man-made contamination of the Desna. There’s a stench along the shore, the water is littered with dead fish, and the shore is full of decaying snails.

According to the Ukrainian government, the cause was the discharge of organic waste from Russian factories near the border with Ukraine. Whether it was a deliberate environmental crime or a man-made accident is still under investigation.

As a result of the disaster in the Desna River, one of the largest rivers in Ukraine and Europe, all living organisms – fish, snails, crustaceans – have died.The shoreline is covered in dead creatures and brown algae.

Petro, a utility worker on the beach, says this is the first time he has seen such devastation. Over the past few days, he has pulled out and disposed of hundreds of kilograms of dead fish.

Now, he’s collecting snails. He is the only one on this beach, which used to be the most popular holiday spot in Chernihiv.

A detailed analysis of the causes and progression of this environmental disaster will soon be available from the Kyiv Post.