Ukrainian river polluted by factory sewage in Kursk Oblast, PM says

Russia dumped sewage from a sugar factory in the town of Tiotkino in Kursk Oblast into the Seim River, causing organic pollution to flow downstream, Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Sept. 10 at a press conference attended by a Kyiv Independent reporter.

The Seim River flows in Belgorod and Kursk oblasts in Russia and within several districts in Sumy and Chernihiv oblasts in Ukraine.

It is a main tributary of the Desna River, which in turn flows into the Dnipro in Kyiv.

In recent days, reports have emerged showing the pollution of the Seim and Desna rivers in Ukraine. Shmyhal confirmed that the pollution of the Seim River led to a decrease in oxygen levels and a large-scale fish die-off.

Shmyhal did not specify whether Russia polluted the waters on purpose. Ukraine has prescribed steps to counteract the repercussions of the pollution.

Chernihiv Oblast Governor Viacheslav Chaus said on Sept. 7 that the pollution damage to the region is estimated at about Hr 186 million ($4.5 million).

"As a rule, (pollution) goes down the center of the river. Some part of the river has been passed, and recovery processes have already taken place closer to the border," Shmyhal said.

"There are no threats to human life and health. There are no risks due to water intake in Chernihiv, (and no risks) from the Desna River and further along the Dnipro River in Kyiv."

As of late January, Russia's full-scale invasion has caused Hr 2.2 trillion ($53 billion) in environmental damage, Shmyhal said.

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The Kyiv IndependentDominic Culverwell