Like a stone hitting a shell, the stark contrast between before and after is clear in Zaporiyia, the city on the Dnieper in central Ukraine. From a vast, serene lake to a shallow, turbulent riverbed speckled with rocks, the landscape tells a heavy tale. The spring attack that likely came from occupying Russian forces aimed to flood areas along their lines and hinder Ukrainian troops before a planned summer counteroffensive. The effect has restored the river to its wartime form, a contrast to the changes the Soviet boom of the 1950s had already introduced. Ecologists in the Slavic region say this moment presents both environmental challenges and a chance to act by modern standards, starting with restoring the damaged river ecosystem.
“On June 6, at six in the morning, we suddenly saw the water level drop by about 10 to 12 centimeters,” notes Mijailo Mulenko, a cultural ministry official and head of natural preservation at the Jórtitsa nature reserve. This island reserve, about 20 kilometers long, sits opposite Zaporiyia and is covered with meadows, pine forests, and steppe. People from the big city visit on weekends. The drop continued, eventually falling by four to five meters. In a reservoir that once held 18 cubic kilometers of water, that represents a huge loss of water mass. Downstream, the sandy riverbanks that residents enjoyed in summer have widened several meters, leaving behind a muddy, desolate scene that is hardly inviting for a swim.
Problems and opportunities
“What happened creates serious ecological problems, but it also offers a chance to build with current environmental standards in mind,” Mulenko says. Among the challenges, the biggest is the potential air pollution from decades of pesticides that sat in the riverbed and are now exposed as waters recede along the banks. It is also expected that many native fish may die, perhaps as much as 95,000 metric tons, according to calculations from the agriculture ministry. These fish, caught in the sands and shallow pools created by the reduced current, are a stark image of the damage caused by the dam’s destruction near Marianske on the northern shore of the reservoir. These pictures of fish suffocating along the Dnieper circulated worldwide and became a symbol of the upheaval caused by the dam blast.
The degraded zones below the dam have suffered ecological damage as well. The released water carried a substantial amount of industrial lubricant, around 150 tons, which Earth.org warns presents a problem for aquatic ecosystems. It also raises long-term concerns about the region’s biodiversity and water quality.
So far, the downside is evident. Yet the river’s gradual recovery is bringing hopeful signs. In areas where the waters have receded, native Ukrainian flora is returning, not only in the Jórtitsa national park but also along the lower river course. Archaeologists are uncovering remains of civilizations that lived in Ukraine in the 6th and 7th centuries BCE, a history long buried by mid-20th‑century floods under Stalin’s regime.
No one knows when the fighting will end, or when Kyiv’s government can begin rebuilding the country, including the destroyed dam. Mulenko urges authorities to avoid Soviet-era gigantism and to focus on rethinking a much smaller project. He envisions a reservoir four kilometers wide at most, holding around four cubic kilometers of water. Such a plan would support navigation along the river and bring the ecological benefits seen so far, while avoiding the large-scale water storage that once served distant towns like Taganrog in Russia and Crimea. He argues that rebuilding a smaller, cleaner project would be better for the river and the people who depend on it.