Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources

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VOLUME 8, ISSUE 3 (DECEMBER 2025) | Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources

Coordinated and published by The Grassroots Institute, the Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources (GJNR) is an international journal dedicated to the latest advancements in natural resources throughout the world. The goal of this journal is to provide a platform for scientists, social scientists, policy analysts, managers and practitioners (on all academic and professional levels) all over the world to promote, discuss and share various new issues and developments in different arenas of natural resources.

VOLUME 8, ISSUE 3 (DECEMBER 2025)

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M – 00619Analytical Article

Legal Status of War-Damaged Forests in Ukraine: Challenges and Solutions

Nataliia Malysheva*1, Dmytro Kovtun2

1Department of Agricultural, Land, Environmental, and Space Law at the Volodymyr Koretsky Institute of State and Law of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine. Email: nataliia_malysheva@ukr.net

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6630-227X

2Department of Agricultural, Land, Environmental, and Space Law at the Volodymyr Koretsky Institute of State and Law of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine. Email: ot99@ukr.net

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-5684-0761

*Corresponding author

Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(3): 469-497. Doi: https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080319

Received: 04 September 2025

Reviewed: 16 October 2025

Provisionally Accepted: 01 November 2025

Revised: 13 November 2025

Finally Accepted: 17 November 2025

Published: 31 December 2025


                                    

Review Reports

Editing Work

Ethical Declarations

ABSTRACT

This article examines the unprecedented impact of the Russian Federation’s armed aggression against Ukraine on the country’s forest resources and forest management system. The war has caused large-scale and multidimensional losses, including damage to approximately three million hectares of forest, among them unique protected areas, widespread contamination by explosive ordnance, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and a substantial reduction in ecosystem services, estimated at US$250 billion per year. Using an integrated approach that combines legal analysis, ecological damage assessment, and policy review, the study identifies critical gaps in Ukraine’s forestry legislation. In particular, the Forest Code of Ukraine lacks legal categories such as “forests damaged by military operations” and “forests destroyed by military operations.” This omission complicates the accounting of war-related losses, the establishment of special management regimes, and the inclusion of environmental damages in international reparation claims. The analysis highlights the challenges posed by large-scale wildfires, mine contamination, infrastructure destruction, and workforce shortages that hinder post-war forest recovery. To address these challenges, the article proposes a framework for post-war reform, including the creation of a national legal regime for war-affected forests, the development of methodologies for quantifying and monetizing ecosystem service losses, and the adoption of a unified national forest restoration strategy aligned with international environmental commitments. It also emphasizes prioritizing demining in ecologically valuable areas, applying advanced technologies, such as satellite monitoring, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and artificial intelligence (AI), and securing sustainable financing through national and international channels. The findings contribute to the formulation of a comprehensive model for rebuilding Ukraine’s forestry sector and provide valuable insights for the international community on restoring natural resources and ecosystem services in post-conflict environments.

Keywords

War-damaged forest; Legal regime of forests; Ecosystem services; Forest losses; Forest restoration

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HOW TO CITE THIS PAPER?
Harvard Style

Malysheva, N. and Kovtun, D. (2025). Legal Status of War-Damaged Forests in Ukraine: Challenges and Solutions. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(3): 469-497. Doi: https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080319

APA Style

Malysheva, N., & Kovtun, D. (2025). Legal Status of War-Damaged Forests in Ukraine: Challenges and Solutions. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(3), 469-497. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080319

ACS Style

Malysheva N., Kovtun D. Legal Status of War-Damaged Forests in Ukraine: Challenges and Solutions. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 2025, 8 (3), 469-497. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080319

Chicago/Turabian Style

Malysheva, Nataliia, Kovtun, Dmytro. 2025. “Legal Status of War-Damaged Forests in Ukraine: Challenges and Solutions”. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8 no. 3: 469-497. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080319

AAA Style

Malysheva, Nataliia and Dmytro Kovtun. 2025. “Legal Status of War-Damaged Forests in Ukraine: Challenges and Solutions”. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8 (3): 469-497. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080319

ABSTRACTING LINKS
Crossref: https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080319
EuroPub: https://europub.co.uk/articles/786241
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Academia.edu: https://www.academia.edu/164859042/Legal_Status_of_War_Damaged_Forests_in_Ukraine_Challenges_and_Solutions
Dimensions:
ZENODO: https://zenodo.org/records/18781050
OpenAIRE: https://explore.openaire.eu/search/result?pid=10.33002/nr2581.6853.080319
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/document/1003567235/Legal-Status-of-War-Damaged-Forests-in-Ukraine-Challenges-and-Solutions
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/399496408_Legal_Status_of_War-Damaged_Forests_in_Ukraine_Challenges_and_Solutions?_sg=M98mT14Jc7cBcVeIypGMTrzDlFIqmJta4YqKodm-CNyYe209JiYEbDNtKMb-XEY6ZuluUDgvY6ZKSEc&_tp=eyJjb250ZXh0Ijp7ImZpcnN0UGFnZSI6ImxvZ2luIiwicGFnZSI6Il9kaXJlY3QifX0
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Legal+Status+of+War-Damaged+Forests+in+Ukraine%3A+Challenges+and+Solutions&btnG=

ARCHIVE & REPOSITORY LINKS
Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/m-00619
WorldCat: https://search.worldcat.org/title/11063832410

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