War ignited record-breaking wildfires in Ukraine last year, scientists say


FILE PHOTO: Dead trees that perished in forest fires following heavy fighting are seen in Sviatohirsk, Donetsk region, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, July 26, 2024. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Last year was Ukraine's worst year for wildfires in more than three decades of record-keeping, as shelling along front lines in the war with Russia triggered an unprecedented number of blazes, scientists said.

Forest fires in Ukraine in 2024 burnt more than twice the area destroyed by fire in the entire 27-country European Union in 2024, the EU's Joint Research Centre - its independent science research service - said in a report published this week.

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