The state of Ukraine’s water resources in 2025–2026 is determined by a combination of military destruction, man-made accidents and the consequences of disasters in previous years. The Black Sea, the Dnipro basin and coastal areas are now in a zone of systemic environmental risk. Monitoring and analysis data from Kyiv Whale Eco Hubs indicate a prolonged deterioration in water quality, loss of biodiversity, and accumulation of toxic substances, posing long-term threats to human health and ecosystem sustainability.
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Ecological losses of the Black Sea
In December 2024, more than 5,000 tonnes of fuel oil spilled into the Black Sea as a result of the Volgo-Neft tanker accident. Parts of the ships remained in the water, with leaks still being detected in early 2026. The coastline is periodically covered with new oil slicks, which complicates the cleanup and makes it impossible to stabilise the environmental situation.
At the end of 2025, an attack on the port of Pivdennyi caused a large-scale spill of sunflower oil. Thousands of tonnes of the substance ended up in the water. In February 2026, storms carried polymerised residues over an area of more than 10,000 square metres within the Tuzlivski Limany National Nature Park. The chemically altered oil forms dense films and lumps that block oxygen access and complicate the recovery of aquatic organisms.
The fauna has suffered massive losses. More than 50,000 dolphins have died during the full-scale war. Military sonars and explosions create powerful acoustic pulses that damage the animals’ inner ears. The loss of orientation deprives them of their ability to hunt and maintain normal life. More than half of the mussel population near Odesa has been destroyed. These molluscs act as natural filters, purifying the water of organic particles and toxins. Their mass death has reduced the sea’s ability to cleanse itself. During the oil spill at the end of 2025, about two thousand waterfowl died after coming into contact with the toxic film on the surface.
The legacy of the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant
The destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant in June 2023 was an event whose consequences continue to be felt. The loss of 14.4 cubic kilometres of water and the drying up of 1,944 square kilometres of the reservoir bed changed the hydrological regime of southern Ukraine. The habitat of 43 fish species was destroyed, twenty of which were of commercial importance. The freshwater wave that moved downstream carried thousands of tonnes of chemicals and household waste into the Black Sea. The sharp desalination was a key factor in the death of mussels and other marine organisms.
The most alarming issue is the state of the sediments on the exposed bottom of the former reservoir. For decades, waste from heavy industry in Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro accumulated there. Analyses conducted in 2025–2026 revealed 83,300 tonnes of heavy metals, including lead, cadmium and arsenic. During rainfall, these substances are washed out and enter the lower reaches of the Dnipro. This creates a long-term source of pollution that can affect the quality of drinking water and cause chronic diseases in the population.
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Water quality in rivers and beach safety
Damage to treatment facilities in various regions of the country was reflected in the monitoring results. In 2025–2026, 24 per cent of water samples did not meet microbiological standards, and 36.8 per cent exceeded permissible chemical parameters. In Mykolaiv, the level of bacterial contamination exceeded the norm by twenty-four times. Such indicators pose risks for the recreational use of water bodies and for centralized water supply systems.
The beach season is completely closed in the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv and Kherson regions. In Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr and the Dnipropetrovsk region, most official beaches are considered unsafe for swimming. Military actions have changed the hydrological balance, caused infrastructure destruction and increased the risk of oil products and toxic substances entering aquifers. Even deep wells need to be checked due to the possible suction of surface contaminants after shelling of oil depots and industrial facilities.
Autonomous cleaning and preparation for disruptions
Periodic interruptions in water supply force households to build up reserves. The recommended minimum is three litres of drinking water per person per day and about ten to twelve litres for hygiene needs. In the absence of centralised purification, water from open sources requires multi-level treatment. First, it is purified of mechanical particles, then left to settle for at least a day. Disinfection is carried out by boiling for at least ten minutes or using chlorine tablets. Boiling destroys bacteria, but does not remove heavy metals and chemical impurities. Household reverse osmosis systems are most effective in cases of chemical contamination.
The state of Ukraine’s water resources is influenced by factors that are not limited to the short-term consequences of the war. The toxic legacy of industry, the destruction of hydraulic structures and the pollution of the marine environment create a complex system of risks. Its impact will be felt for years to come through changes in ecosystems, the health of the population and the economies of water-dependent regions.
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