The occupiers announced their intention to “restore” Dzharylhach Island, which they themselves joined to the mainland and set up a training ground there. Now they view it as a “tourist showcase”.
The plans for the so-called restoration were announced by the occupiers’ appointee, the head of the illegal municipal district, Oleksandr Dudka.
According to him, the occupation authorities allegedly plan to make the island “appealing to tourists again and pay it special attention because of its unique natural conditions and species listed in the Red Book”.
Dzharylhach – the largest island by area off the Black Sea coast of Kherson region, washed by the Karkinit and Dzharylhach bays. It is considered uninhabited and has had the status of a protected area since the 1920s.
Recall, in spring 2023 the Russian occupiers filled the crossing with sand, connecting the island to the occupied part of Kherson Oblast, and established a military training ground on it.
In August that year Dzharylhach was hit by a large fire. The blaze destroyed 1,500 ha of the reserve zone. The most valuable steppe section of the national park burned for almost a week.
In the autumn of 2023 a storm raged in the Black and Azov seas. Due to the bad weather, Dzharylhach Island again separated from the mainland.