56 dead dolphins found in one month: what the war is doing to the Black Sea

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, about 100,000 cetaceans of three species may have died in the Black and Azov Seas. This estimate was published by scientists of the National Nature Park “Tuzly Lagoons”.

The consequences of the war for the marine ecosystem were reported by scientist Ivan Rusev on the natural park’s page.

During June 2026 alone, 56 dead dolphins were physically recorded on the Black Sea coast in the area of “Tuzly Lagoons”. Near Odesa, scientists also observed live cetaceans showing signs of concussion and abnormal behavior.

Experts link the mass deaths of the animals to explosions of sea mines, bombings, missile strikes, the use of powerful sonars by the Russian navy, and chemical pollution of the sea.

Scientists emphasized that the destruction of the marine ecosystem is the result of the combined impact of hostilities and pollution following the Russians’ blowing up of the Kakhovka HPP.

“The Black Sea ecosystem has been pushed to the brink of collapse. Continuous deadly military pressure — mine explosions, bombardments, missile launches, the use of powerful sonars, as well as colossal volumes of chemical pollutants, including the consequences of the Kakhovka catastrophe — are systematically destroying the sea’s unique biodiversity.”

The park explained that these dangerous factors act simultaneously and reinforce one another. Due to injuries, concussions, poisoning, and disorientation, dolphins lose the ability to hunt, navigate the water, and restore their populations.

According to researchers’ estimates, Black Sea cetacean populations are already losing viability, immunity, and the genetic potential for further recovery.

Scientists warned that without an end to Russian aggression, the consequences for the Black Sea may become irreversible.

“If the civilized world does not stop the aggressor, the Black Sea risks permanently losing its main rulers — the creatures that for millennia have been symbols of its wild nature.”

Earlier we wrote:

• Billions of tons of water inundated towns and villages: anniversary of the Russian terrorist attack on the Kakhovka HPP
• Six dead dolphins in a week in the Odesa region: ecologists link this to explosions in the Black Sea
• Shelling of the Mykolaiv region by Russians: losses from air pollution in just one month – over UAH 3.5 million
• A desert in place of a reserve: the war destroyed the unique Kinburn Spit
• Russia keeps the Kinburn Spit a mined desert to economically strangle Mykolaiv