UKRAINE: With the majority of Ukraine’s Black Sea Coast either under the control of Russian troops or in their line of fire, families seeking refuge from the war zone are now heading to the inland shores of the Tylihul, a river that expands into a wide estuary bordered by grasslands.
In the warm summer sun, you can almost forget that the front line is merely a few hours’ drive away. Visitors say that the respite is a much-needed relief. However, authorities and some locals are concerned that the throngs would harm a significant and fragile natural habitat.
“There are two sides to a coin. On the one hand, we understand that there is no access to the sea, and people still want to relax somewhere. On the other hand, we know that the estuary will not survive such a large number of people,” stated Petro Kalinchuk, on a sandy spit littered with tents and beach umbrellas.
Inna Tymchenko, the deputy head of the Mykolaiv regional department of the National Institute of Ecology, said the issue wasn’t so much with the people as it was with their tents and vehicles.
“They are placed in chaotic order; tourists don’t know where it is alright to leave a car and where it is not, so they park wherever they want. That’s how vegetation cover is being destroyed,” she stated.
“Noise affects the birds. They partially got used to the noise, but loud noises are unusual for them this year. It will lead to grave consequences in this area,” her statement further added.
There was optimism that this place could become a refuge for birds escaping the Kinburn Spit, a large nature preserve on the Black Sea that got flooded when the Kakhovska Dam on the Dnipro River was detonated almost two months ago. If there isn’t a hospitable shelter for them here, more birds might perish.
Kalinchuk said that his family has been visiting the river for nearly five decades, witnessing birds nesting and brooding eggs on the beach. Unfortunately, due to increased crowds, the birds have disappeared, and there are also fewer fish now.
But as long as the Russia and Ukraine’s conflict persists and there are few further places to rest, families say that they will continue coming to the river. “Access to the rivers and the sea is closed. So this is the only place where we can relax after two years of war against Russia,” a local, Viacheslav Natalenko, said.
Also Read: Russia Ukraine Crisis: Hundreds Of Donated Bulletproof Vests For Ukraine Stolen In US
