Using Remote Sensing to analyze environmental parameters of land plots affected by military operations

This study focuses on the use of remote sensing (RS) technologies to assess the ecological condition of land plots affected by hostilities in Ukraine. Due to the full-scale invasion, the preservation and restoration of land resources has become particularly urgent. The lack of timely monitoring may lead to irreversible land degradation, creating a threat to the country’s environmental security. RS technologies, such as satellite monitoring, provide an effective tool for rapid and objective analysis of land resources in hard-to-reach regions.

Zaporizhzhia region, where active hostilities have taken place since 2022, was selected for the analysis. The study used Sentinel-2 satellite imagery. To analyze vegetation changes and detect damaged areas, NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and NBR (Normalized Burn Ratio) indices were applied. Data processing was conducted on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. Images from the summer of 2020 (pre-invasion) and the summer of 2023 (during hostilities) were compared, namely the month of July.

The results of the comparative analysis showed that hostilities have a negative impact on the environment, which is manifested in soil degradation, loss of vegetation cover, and disruption of the hydrological balance. NDVI analysis showed a significant decrease in vegetation cover intensity in the summer of 2023 compared to 2020. In the 2023 images, yellow-brown patches appeared, indicating degradation. The NDVI difference map (delta-NDVI) clearly demonstrated red zones pointing to ecosystem deterioration due to military actions. NBR and delta-NBR analysis confirmed the presence of damaged zones, particularly in agricultural lands and forest areas. These findings confirm the increased ecological burden on territories affected by hostilities.