Ukraine War Blamed for Deaths of More Than 120,000 Dolphins in Black Sea
Moscow/Odesa — Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine has inflicted severe damage on the Black Sea’s marine ecosystem, with a Ukrainian researcher estimating that more than 120,000 dolphins have died since Moscow launched its invasion in 2022. The figure represents roughly a quarter of the Black Sea’s cetacean population. Ivan Rusev, head researcher at Ukraine’s Tuzly…
Moscow/Odesa — Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine has inflicted severe damage on the Black Sea’s marine ecosystem, with a Ukrainian researcher estimating that more than 120,000 dolphins have died since Moscow launched its invasion in 2022. The figure represents roughly a quarter of the Black Sea’s cetacean population.
Ivan Rusev, head researcher at Ukraine’s Tuzly Lagoons National Park, told Al Jazeera that explosions, cruise-missile launches from warships, naval mines and military sonar systems are disrupting dolphins’ echolocation. This leaves the animals unable to navigate, communicate and hunt effectively, causing many to become weak, stranded or entangled in fishing nets.
According to Rusev, about 50,000 dolphins may have died in 2022 alone, while the total had exceeded 120,000 by 2026. He said the estimate is based on carcasses found along the shore and should be treated as a minimum figure, because most dead dolphins sink at sea rather than washing ashore.
Experts warn that war-related pollution, fuel and chemical leaks, declining fish stocks and intense underwater noise are also harming seabirds and the wider Black Sea food chain. Researchers say the ecosystem’s recovery could take decades, with some estimates suggesting 30 to 50 years.
Note: The 120,000 figure is a researcher’s estimate, not a confirmed, independently audited count; it relies on extrapolating from shoreline carcasses.
