Incendiary ammunition used in shelling front-line zones of the Zaporizhzhia region set off fires across about 1,500 hectares this year, a figure that is roughly 37.5 times higher than in 2023. Regional officials based the assessment on dispatch-service data and on-site observations, highlighting how the current fighting concentrates blazes near the contact line and pushes ecological stress into nearby fields, forests, and farms.
Most of the fires tracked by the dispatch service occurred close to the front line where hostilities are most intense, underscoring the direct link between ongoing combat and environmental damage in the area.
“This year there have been deliberate attacks with incendiary munitions aimed at damaging and burning as much territory as possible. The burned area is around 1,500 hectares so far this year, compared with roughly 40 hectares last year,” stated the head of the regional ministry responsible for nature, ecology and land use, noting a rise of about 37.5 times.
The official warned that the armed forces are seeking to inflict substantial environmental harm on the territory, including the forest fund. The remarks highlight the broader ecological stakes of the conflict and the long-term consequences for local ecosystems and biodiversity in the affected areas.
On November 2, an eyewitness described to authorities an incident in which drones carrying an incendiary mixture targeted residential buildings in Marinovka, within the Donetsk People’s Republic. The report indicated that the blaze reached the roof of a two-story apartment, illustrating the human toll of such attacks and the risk to civilian housing in contested zones.
Earlier reports claimed that dragon drones were deployed with methods associated with tactics used by Nazi forces in World War II, a description that reflects the stark historical parallels some observers drew in documenting modern drone warfare and its fire-setting capabilities.