Researchers from the University of Rzeszow (UR), together with scientists from Ukraine, conducted a study in the Black Sea. They found that military operations there are the cause of the mass extinction of dolphins and porpoises.

The research team, comprising zoologists from the University of Rzeszow: Dr Ewa Węgrzyn, Dr Konrad Leniowski, and Dr Natalia Tańska, and scientists from Ukraine: Dr Ivan Rusev, Iryna Medvedieva and Dr Alexander Kagalo, established that Russian aggression against Ukraine, including military action in the Black Sea, is the cause of the mass extinction of dolphins and porpoises. 

Conservative estimates from the study indicate that in just three months of war, around 20% of the Black Sea cetacean population became extinct. 

The dead dolphins and porpoises that were stranded during the project had numerous injuries from the armed conflict in the Black Sea. In addition to their injuries, many individuals were also emaciated, indicating death due to starvation and hypothermia. This is due to the military’s use of sonar, which damages the part of the dolphins’ brain necessary for navigation and hunting.