Satellites reveal a 28 % drop in Ukraine’s Nitrogen oxides emissions during the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022

Abstract. The outbreak of the Russia–Ukraine war in 2022 brought a huge impact on the Ukrainian economic production. To quantify this effect, we invert the anthropogenic Nitrogen oxides (NO_x) emissions in Ukraine from 2019 to 2022, a key indicator of human activities, to reflect the disruption of activities in different economic sectors due to war. We found a 28 % decline in NO_x emissions during the war, if compared with the base year, which significantly exceeded the decrease caused by the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Eastern Ukraine experienced a 34 % decrease in NO_x emissions, whereas the other regions experienced a decrease of 24 %. The destruction of infrastructure and energy shortages severely impact the sustainable development of such social activities as industry, housing and transportation in Ukraine. These findings highlight the severe disruption of socio-economic activities due to the war, offering crucial insights into the broader implications of war on environmental and economic stability.