Methodological Aspects of Classification of Environmental Impacts Caused by Russian Aggression in Ukraine

The article deals with the issue of environmental impact assessment, covering the historical retrospective, as well as current risks and threats caused by the war in Ukraine. The author analyzed studies that directly address the issue of the impact of military operations on the environment. Particular attention has been paid to the regulatory documents approved in Ukraine after 2022, in particular, the resolution of the Government of Ukraine regulating the cost assessment of damages, which identified several gaps in the environmental components. The authors identify seven types of impact by certain aspects, in particular: by the nature of the factors’ action; by time; by intensity; by territorial scale; by the form of territorial manifestation; by the nature of the consequences; by the possibility of returning to the previous state. A classification of military impacts (explosions, mining, movement of military equipment, etc.) and their potential consequences for various environmental components have also been proposed. The general methodology is also specified for individual components and adapted to assess ecosystem losses using the example of a habitat score.