“Ecocide in Ukraine: Deliberate Poisoning of Seym River Devastates Wildlife and Water Supply”

**‘Everything is Dead’: to ** In a troubling development, Ukraine is grappling with the aftermath of a suspected deliberate poisoning of the , attributed to Russian forces. The incident has had devastating effects on local wildlife, prompting urgent action to mitigate the environmental disaster. , the mayor of Slabyn, a small village in the Chernihiv region with a population of 520, surveyed the grim scene along the banks of the . He picked up a twig and prodded a small roach that had recently succumbed to the toxic waters. “You can tell it died recently because its eyes are clear and not blurry,” he explained. The river, once teeming with life, now bore the grim sight of hundreds of dead fish scattered along its lush, willow-lined shores. Among them lay a large pike in the mud and a motionless carp nestled in a patch of yellow lilies. “Everything is dead, from the tiniest minnow to the biggest catfish,” Kraskov lamented. managed to avoid the worst of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, the war has now manifested in a new and horrifying way. Ukrainian officials are accusing Russian forces of intentionally contaminating the , which feeds into the Desna. This river is crucial as it connects to a reservoir in the Kyiv region, serving as a vital water supply for millions of people. As the situation unfolds, Ukrainian authorities are racing against time to address the ecological crisis and protect the region's water resources from further harm.