Strike on Nova Poshta's SICH Innovation Terminal in Zaporizhzhia: Environmental Impact

What Happened

On the morning of 17 March 2026, a Russian attack damaged Nova Poshta's SICH innovation logistics terminal in Zaporizhzhia. Two strikes were recorded at approximately 06:20. The terminal building and equipment were damaged, while the blast wave also affected nearby residential buildings.

According to information subsequently provided by the company, the damaged assets included the building's exterior cladding, a modular shelter, ten vehicles and four containers. Parcels were redirected through reserve logistics facilities after the attack.

Preliminary Environmental Assessment

• CO₂ emissions: 79.2–396.0 tonnes
• Estimated atmospheric-air damage: UAH 382,054–6,367,569
• Trees for conditional CO₂ compensation: 176–881
• Equivalent annual car emissions: 18–87 cars

Analysis

The assessment uses an estimated logistics-site area of 8,000–25,000 m² and a scenario-based burned area of 1,000–5,000 m². The exact duration of the fire was not established in open sources, so coefficients for an unknown duration or burning lasting up to 12 hours were applied. The lower bound reflects the minimum damage and fire scenario, while the upper bound represents an expanded scenario within the same logistics complex.

Materials that may have burned include cardboard, paper packaging, polymers, cargo of unknown composition, cable insulation, batteries, fuel and lubricants from damaged vehicles. Potential emissions include CO₂, smoke, soot, ash, fine particulate matter and products of incomplete combustion.

The tree estimate relates exclusively to conditional compensation for CO₂ emissions, assuming planting and maintenance for at least 10 years. Trees do not neutralise soot, dust, heavy metals, plastics, fuel and lubricants, hazardous waste, or contamination of water and soil.