Toxic substances flowing from Russia found in Desna River near Kyiv
Photo: Toxic substances detected in the Desna River (desna-buvr.gov.ua)
A toxic substance was found in the Desna River, flowing downstream from the Russian border, as reported by Vyshhorod Mayor Oleksii Momot.
According to him, an emergency meeting of the Kyiv Regional Commission on Technogenic and Ecological Safety and Emergencies was held on August 26. The meeting decided to prohibit residents from swimming and fishing in the Desna River.
"Poisonous substance detected in the Desna River and its bays, flowing downstream from the Russian border. Strictly prohibit all personnel from swimming, boating, and fishing in the Desna and its bays," Momot wrote.
The ban will apply to the Brovary, Vyshhorod, and Pyriatyn territorial communities until safe levels are confirmed by environmental experts.
It is worth noting that the Desna is one of Ukraine's largest rivers, flowing in the northern part of the country and is a right tributary of the Dnipro. The river is approximately 1,130 km long, with about 591 km in Ukraine. It originates in Russia, in the Smolensk region, and flows through the Chernihiv, Kyiv, and Sumy regions.
Notably, the day before, pollutants were detected in the Seym River, a tributary of the Desna.
According to the State Agency of Water Resources and Fisheries of Ukraine, there was a significant exceedance of the maximum allowable concentrations of pollutants in the Seym River, including ammonium and suspended substances.
As a result, the relevant environmental commission decided to ban swimming, fishing, and using water from the river for domestic purposes due to the health risks to people and local residents.
Earlier, the Minister of Environmental Protection stated that some of Ukraine’s natural resources were permanently lost due to the war. Almost 3 million hectares of forest were damaged, which is nearly one-third of the country's forested areas, and the Russian invasion harmed 600 species of fauna and 750 species of flora.
