Environmental consequences of military actions: an analysis of environmental pollution caused by unexploded ordnance, infrastructure damage and debris from unmanned aerial vehicles
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31548/Keywords:
armed conflict, environmental pressure, munitions, soil contamination, unmanned systems, geoinformationAbstract
Armed conflicts leave a lasting mark on the environment. They alter the landscape and leave behind materials whose presence does not cease with the end of hostilities. The aim of this study is to categorise such residues. Four main criteria have been adopted: source, area of distribution, mechanism of impact and material properties. The study draws on research findings from former battlefields, military sites and areas of current conflict. It examines munitions remnants, metals, energy materials, chemicals, radionuclides, fuel, technical waste and permanent changes to the terrain. Examples from France, Belgium, Vietnam, Kosovo, the Persian Gulf region and Ukraine show that environmental pressure can arise in various ways. It may occur at the site of weapon deployment, at the site of equipment destruction, during the subsequent handling of remnants, or as a result of changes in land use. In this broader context, unmanned systems are proposed as a new subject of study regarding technical remnants. Their construction involves a variety of materials. It covers metals, polymers, composites, electronics and energy sources. Fibre-optic cables are also used in some FPV systems. When a platform is lost, they can leave a linear trail on the ground. The scale of this phenomenon and its environmental consequences are as yet unknown. The available data do not allow these residues to be compared with well-studied munitions residues. Therefore, this article is primarily of a systematic and identificatory nature. It sets out directions for further research: spatial inventory, material identification, assessment of degradation and migration, as well as studies into the potential impact on soil, water, vegetation and fauna.
Received: 15.09.2026;
Accepted: 15.10.2026;
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