--- title: "Top Ukrainian Scientist Calls Russian Invasion a “Fossil Fuel War”" description: "Industrial Complex Ukraine’s foremost climate scientist believes that fossil fuels are not only the greatest threat to humanity, but a driving factor in Russia’s invasion of her country as well. In an interview with The Guardian, Svitlana Krakovska said the connection between the mining and manufacturing of fossil fuels and Russia’s military incursion into Ukraine cannot […]" date: "2022-03-10" modified: "2022-03-10" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/ukraine-fossil-fuel-war" categories: - "Climate Change" - "Environment" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "climate change" - "Fossil Fuels" - "ipcc" - "Russia" - "the digest" - "ukraine" --- # Top Ukrainian Scientist Calls Russian Invasion a “Fossil Fuel War” ![Ukraine's foremost climate scientist believes that fossil fuels are not only the greatest threat to humanity, but a driving factor in Russia's invasion of her country as well.]() *\Image: Getty Images\* ## Industrial Complex Svitlana Krakovska, a top climate scientist at the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Institute, believes that fossil fuels are not only the greatest threat to humanity, but a key driving factor in Russia's invasion of her country as well. "I started to think about the parallels between climate change and this war and it’s clear that the roots of both these threats to humanity are found in fossil fuels," the climatologist [told *The Guardian*]() in a new interview. Krakovska also argued that we can no longer afford to ignore this connection. "This is a fossil fuel war," she added. "It’s clear we cannot continue to live this way, it will destroy our civilization." ## Blitzkrieg The invasion began just as Krakovska and her team were struggling to finalize their contribution to the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change — which issued a [damning report]() on the apocalyptic effects fossil fuels have had on our planet last month — as Kyiv, her hometown, was under siege. Though she was offered shelter in other countries, Krakovska decided to stay behind in their family's home in Kyiv. She was devastated by what she has since witnessed, describing it as a "blitzkrieg" and "terrorism against the Ukrainian people" in the interview. ## Oil Wars Russia's military might would not be possible, Krakovska argued, without its reserves that [supply 40 percent of the European Union's natural gas]() needs. "Burning oil, gas and coal is causing warming and impacts we need to adapt to," she told *The Guardian*, "and Russia sells these resources and uses the money to buy weapons." "Other countries are dependent upon these fossil fuels, they don’t make themselves free of them," Krakovska added. Climate scientists and environmentalists have, for decades now, been issuing increasingly-stark warnings about how fossil fuels will [lead to humanity's demise]() — despite geopolitical experts and anti-war activists decrying the fighting over global supplies. But for a top climate scientist to draw parallels between fossil fuels, military action by oil-rich countries, and climate change is striking, especially considering her home is currently under siege. **READ MORE:** [‘This is a fossil fuel war’: Ukraine’s top climate scientist speaks out]() \[*The Guardian*\] **More on oil mongering:** [*White House Brags That America Is Producing More Oil and Gas Than Ever*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()