Round Table "Russia's war in Ukraine. Environmental issues", June 16

Scientific event organized by the Centre de recherches Europes-Eurasie (CREE, Inalco), in partnership with the Centre d'études des mondes russes, caucasien et centre-européen (CERCEC, EHESS-CNRS) and the Réseau universitaire de chercheurs en histoire environnementale (RUCHE) as part of the La Ruche de l'Histoire project.

Thursday, June 16, 2022 - 17:30-20:00 - PLC (Paris 13e) - room 5.09 / and online
Inalco - Pôle des Langues et Civilisations - (65, rue des Grands Moulins - Paris 13ème)

Modality : Hybrid (Presential / Distanciel)
To attend this scientific event:
- in presential :free admission subject to availability.
- distance learning : required registration.

Russia's war in Ukraine. Environmental issues

Abstract
The invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army on 24 February 2022 has already caused immense destruction of human life, infrastructure and ecosystems. The return of war to this region, which has a large and aging industrial apparatus inherited from the Soviet period, is causing great concern. Bombing of chemical and steel factories, fighting around nuclear installations, destruction and contamination of ecosystems by the armies: the environmental and sanitary damage is increasing with the continuation of the fighting, but it is also the toxic legacy of this violence that is worrying for the post-war period. This conflict has also led to a serious supply crisis whose effects on international markets are already having dramatic political and ecological repercussions for the most vulnerable countries. This round table will first and foremost give the floor to our colleagues from Ukraine and Belarus, to propose an inventory of the destruction underway and the multiple environmental risks that are accumulating in the region. The discussion will be organized in a second time with all the speakers around the major themes of historiography devoted to the interrelations between war and environment applied to the Ukrainian case.

Summary
The invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army on February 24, 2022 has already caused immense destruction to human life, infrastructure and ecosystems. The return of war to this region, with its large and aging industrial base inherited from the Soviet era, is a cause for great concern. Bombing of chemical and steel plants, fighting around nuclear facilities, destruction and contamination of ecosystems by armies: environmental and health damage is increasing as the fighting continues, but it is also the toxic legacy of this violence that is causing concern for the post-war period. The conflict has also led to a serious supply crisis, the effects of which on international markets are already having dramatic political and ecological repercussions for the most vulnerable countries. This round table will first and foremost give the floor to our colleagues from Ukraine and Belarus, who will present an overview of the destruction underway and the many environmental risks accumulating in the region. The discussion will then be organized around the major themes of historiography devoted to the interrelations between war and the environment as applied to the Ukrainian case.

Participants

• Anna Olenenko (Zaporizhzhia National University) "Animals in wartime: impact of Russia's war against Ukraine on pets and wild life."
• Tatiana Kasperski (Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona) "The Ukrainian Peaceful Atom in Times of War: Environmental and Safety Concerns."
• Darya Tsymbalyuk (University of St Andrews) "mperial violence and more-than-human worlds: studying Donbas environments during the war."
• Nickolai Denisov (Zoï Environment Network, Geneva) "Ecology of scale - mapping war damage from Donbas to Ukraine at large."

Organization
Marin Coudreau (CERCEC, CNRS)
Laurent Coumel (CREE, Inalco)

Contact: laurent.coumel@inalco.fr