History of the formation of legislation to regulate the impact of military conflicts on the environment

The article explores the environmental consequences of military conflicts, which is a relevant topic in light of the growing number of armed confrontations in the world. The author emphasizes that war harms not only humanity but also the environment, causing such negative consequences as land degradation, water and air pollution, loss of biodiversity, and gradual destruction of ecosystems. The article analyzes examples of conflicts that have had an impact on the environment, such as the First and Second World Wars, the Vietnam War, and NATO’s Operation Allied Force in Yugoslavia, and their impact on the environment. In particular, the author describes the use of chemical weapons, large-scale deforestation, sinking of naval ships, the use of artificial defoliants, and the effects of explosions on soil. The authors also focus on specific violations of international regulations in the field of regulation of military impact on the environment, which suggests the need for continuous development and improvement of international legislation in this area, in particular, by taking into account environmental and security aspects. The relevance of the article is revealed on the basis of the study of international data on the growing number of military conflicts in the world, which in the future, due to the transformation and expansion of military systems and the use of modern weapons, may lead to a large number of environmentally hazardous consequences. Particular attention is paid to a more modern example - the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by russia, where significant changes in ecosystems, in particular, in the structure of soils due to the large number of craters from shelling, can already be predicted. It has also been established that the environmental consequences of military conflicts are not only local but also transboundary, in particular through the spread of pollutants by air and waterways. The authors of the article emphasize the need to systematize international experience, relevant legislation and scientific analysis of environmental losses in order to create effective strategies for both environmental protection during wars and its restoration in the post-war period. In order to fully study this topic, the article also emphasizes the importance of legal certainty and detailing of the concept of “ecocide”.