Scientific Reports of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine

Transformation of soil cover under the influence of military aggression: an integrated assessment on the example of Kyiv Polissia

Bohdan Nikitchenko, Olena Naumovska
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Abstract

Military actions have a significant impact on the soil cover, which has serious consequences for the environment and food security. The purpose of the study was to analyse changes in the agrochemical and geochemical characteristics of soils as a result of the 2022 military operations in Ukraine. The study focused on the territory of the village of Kalynivka, Fastiv Raion, Kyiv Oblast, at the experimental site of the oil product outpouring site. Based on a comparison of empirical laboratory data (2024) – with simulated states of the pre-escalation period (2021) and the period of acute impact (2022) – the multifactorial nature of military impact on soil degradation was revealed. It was established that the dominant factor of destruction is not chemical contamination, but a deep physical disturbance of the soil profile: inversion of horizons, compaction and “scalping” of the fertile layer, collectively described by the term “bombturbation”. A detailed correlation analysis was performed, which quantitatively confirmed the inversion hypothesis: a strong positive correlation (r ≈ +0.94) was found between the depth and concentration of heavy metals (Cr), which is abnormal for natural conditions. This phenomenon, together with critically low humus content and an abnormal distribution of petroleum products, indicates that the originally contaminated surface layer has been buried. Analysis of time dynamics revealed the phenomenon of “disjointed recovery”, in which the rapid biodegradation of organic pollutants contrasts with the persistence of physical damage and heavy metal contamination. The paper emphasised that ignoring the physical component of degradation and attempts to conduct agriculture according to traditional schemes will inevitably lead to increased environmental risks and further loss of agricultural potential. The results of the study can be used to develop strategies for soil restoration in the affected territories of Ukraine, which will help to reduce environmental risks and restore agricultural potential

Keywords

soil degradation; military conflict; bombturbation; heavy metals; petroleum products; profile inversion; correlation analysis

Suggested citation
Nikitchenko, B., & Naumovska, O. (2026). Transformation of soil cover under the influence of military aggression: an integrated assessment on the example of Kyiv Polissia. Scientific Reports of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, 22(3),7-21. https://doi.org/10.31548/dopovidi/3.2026.07
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