Russia has destroyed 210,000 buildings in Ukraine since the beginning of the war – NYT

More than 210,000 buildings in Ukraine have been seriously damaged or completely destroyed during more than two years of war. This finding comes from an analysis of radar satellite data, which can detect even small changes in structures.

This information reported by The New York Times.

Among these, approximately 900 damaged and destroyed buildings were protected under the Geneva Conventions, which set standards for humane treatment during war. This conservative estimate, which does not include data from Western Ukraine, includes 106 hospitals, 109 churches, and 708 schools, colleges, and universities, according to the NYT.

The Ukrainian cities most affected by military actions include Mariupol, Kharkiv, Irpin, Rubizhne, and Marinka.

However, not all the damaged buildings can be attributed to the Russian army. The NYT reports that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have also caused significant damage to buildings while bombing frontline Russian positions and attacking territories occupied by Russia, including Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions.

It is often difficult to determine which side of the conflict is responsible for the destruction of a particular building, the NYT journalists note. However, there is significantly less destruction in Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia compared to the rest of Ukraine.

The confirmed data from the NYT is lower than the estimate provided by Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. In May, he stated that Russia had destroyed or damaged 250,000 residential buildings, about 4,000 schools, over 1,000 hospitals, and many other civilian objects. According to him, the damage from the Russian invasion has already amounted to $486 billion.

In addition, Russia has destroyed or damaged more than 800 heating supply facilities due to missile strikes, requiring about $1 billion for restoration, Shmyhal said. Former Minister of Housing and Communal Services Oleksiy Chernyshov stated that up to 90% of the capacity of thermal power plants in Ukraine had been put out of action. As a result, the country has implemented electricity consumption restrictions, which will remain in place until winter and may continue through the winter period.