Problems
An oil storage facility in Shakhtarsk is on fire
Shakhtersk is a city of regional subordination, the district center of the Donetsk region. It is part of the Shakhtersk agglomeration. The city was occupied by the Russians in 2014. Over the last years of the war, this place has become a real environmental hot spot, as the local ecology suffers almost daily from the products of military activity. The most recent such incident was an explosion at an oil depot that caused a massive fire with aggravating consequences for the airspace above the region. According to the Russians, tanks with almost 2 tons of fuel are again on fire at the local oil depot in Shakhtersk. Four more railroad tanks with 60 tons of gasoline in each are on fire at the railway station. Separatist resources write, referring to residents, that 5 people, a parking lot, and private houses were affected there, and a column of black smoke can be seen 15 km away from the city. The same large-scale fire at the exact locations occurred the night before. The Russians and representatives of the so-called "DNR" admitted that 12 fuel tanks on the railroad tracks and the roof of the railroad station burned, but 42 tanks were allegedly saved. The occupants and their mercenaries reported localizing the fire at night and stated that the cause of the fire was shelling by Haimars from Ukrainian government-controlled territory. As can be seen in the published videos, the fire is accompanied by heavy smoke. The fire spread for dozens of meters, and black smoke could be seen from different areas. Such a fire is extremely dangerous for the environment. When oil products burn, sulfuric and sulfuric anhydride, nitrogen, and sulfur oxides are released with smoke particles, which cause acid rain. Oil combustion products will turn into acid rain, which will fall in the Donetsk region or even somewhere far beyond its borders. In addition, the cinders from the fire contain aluminum and iron oxides, vanadium compounds - highly toxic substances that not only harm the environment but also threaten human health. Residues of ash will later settle on plants, which will also harm flora and fauna. The fire is over, but the products of oil combustion will affect the environmental situation in the region. The ratio of the volumes of harmful emissions entering the atmosphere indicates a very significant impact of oil and petroleum products on the state of the environment. The combustion of petroleum products produces all the main atmospheric pollutants. The air masses will carry pollution for hundreds of kilometers. The ingress of petroleum products on the surface of the water will lead to an imbalance in the exchange balance between water and the atmosphere, causing disruption of aquatic organisms and river ecosystems. Oil product ingress into the soil threatens to contaminate aquifers, including in areas remote from the fire. The water and foam used to extinguish these fires help oil products penetrate into the soil more quickly. And this leads to the contamination of aquifers, which spreads over long distances. The aromatic hydrocarbon benzopyrene, formed when hydrocarbon fuels burn, is a very powerful carcinogen. Therefore, the smoke from an oil-depot fire is extremely toxic. When soils are contaminated with oil products, their features and properties change. First of all, physical properties affecting the morphological features of soils change, air exchange in the soil is disturbed, and water inflow is hampered. This, in turn, impairs the delivery of various nutrients necessary for the life of soil organisms. Disturbance of plant cover affects other elements of the ecosystem. One of the most dangerous types of pollution is the pollution of the hydrosphere since water is a source of life for vegetation and a habitat for many animals. The Shakhtarsk fire must be seen as an absolute disaster for the ecology of Donbas, which has already been seriously damaged by 8 years of war. Military and armed conflicts always cause significant environmental damage. Still, now the actions of the Russian Federation pose a threat of man-made disaster not only for Ukraine but also for the whole of Europe. Environmentalists will have to deal with the consequences of the incident.
Gallery
2
Timelines
2022
October 27
On October 27, a large-scale fire erupted again in occupied Shakhtersk, Donetsk region - an oil storage tanker is on fire. "News of Donbas" reports that four tanks with 60 tons of gasoline are burning on the territory of the railway station after shelling. There is also information about four casualties among civilians. It is noted that they are provided with medical assistance. Propagandists blame Ukrainian forces for the fire in Shakhtarsk.
October 26
Around 9:30 p.m. on October 26, after several explosions, a large fire broke out near the Postnikovo railway station in occupied Shakhtersk, Donetsk region. Fuel and lubricants were burning. The explosion destroyed 12 Russian railway tanks with fuel. This information was reported by the advisor to the mayor of Mariupol Peter Andryushchenko - "As you can see, not only 12 railway tanks with fuel went down. Cargo cars in which they transported something for the needs of the front were also carefully hidden. The occupants are at a disadvantage, we are at an advantage.
July 08
On the night of July 8, explosions began in the city from the detonation of ammunition stored in the Russian occupation troops' warehouse. It is reported that the detonation began after 2 a.m. Videos published on social networks show that the fire that broke out at the depot where the Russian army ammunition was stored looked very large-scale. The city's occupation administration began evacuating the population to the surrounding settlements and asked residents to temporarily move to remote areas of the city.