"As a member of the Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, I am concerned about the pollution of water basins with chemical and industrial wastes. Therefore, the news about the situation on the Okhchuchay River caught my attention," Pavel Bakunets, a member of the Verkhovna Rada's Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management, told Report's East European Bureau.
He said he regretted not having enough information to comment on the situation in detail:
"I would like to see the final opinions of the relevant government commissions, environmental organizations, as well as scientists on this issue. It must be understood that the environment does not belong to any private companies, not even countries, but the property of the whole planet. For this reason, it is incredibly unpleasant that nature and the environment have become part of the political confrontation between countries. I am convinced that the possible environmental catastrophe on the Okhchuchay River is a shared responsibility of everyone who can prevent it but does not do so. Therefore, I call on the international community to pay attention to this situation and investigate the reasons for this."