Kreydova flora — a branch of the Ukrainian steppe natural reserve is situated in the North of Donetsk Oblast. That is why it suffered heavily from Russian - Ukrainian war - back in 2014 a front line was right on its territory. Battles, which lasted which raged here for two months had left after 505 blast craters, 81 earthworks including trenches and ditches, 35.2 hectars of the territory is damaged by fires caused by explosions, 15 hectars of reserve is polluted, 200 pine Cretaceous trees are either destroyed by explosions or used to build defenses. Pine Cretaceous is known to exist since preglacial age and is included into Red Data Book.
Now the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD) is about to destroy what was spared by the fighting.

It is clear that after 2014 there remain a lot of unexploded ordnance in Kreidova Flora, but, fortunately they are not everywhere. The reserve staff has repeatedly informed engineers responsible for mine clearing about these areas - however Swiss personnel have decided to search ordnance on the both sides of the road that connects Piskunivka and Korsunivka. This area during combat activities was in the rear of Ukrainian troops and saw no fighting, no military equipment passed through it and no single crater remained after.
In a letter as for their intentions to mine sweeping the area Swiss referred to the order given by the Ukrainian Ministry Of Defense .
Why on earth should the Ministry Of Defense mine sweep 'clean' areas (destroying unique natural complexes) and ignore at the same time those where mine sweeping is necessary?

Shaparenko Sergiy, EnG "Pechenigi": [email protected]
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P.S. Letter Director Kreydyana Flora S. Limanskii about this (Ukrainian version).

Feather grass in Kreydova Flora

P.P.S. Majestic chalk mountains and cliffs are remnants of the ancient Tethys Sea that at the time of dinosaurs covered most of present-day Ukraine. Due to chalk properties - chemical composition, color (which reflects light), etc. - its natural complexes are unique and do not occur anywhere else outside these outcrops. However, usually chalk deposits are hidden beneath a thick layer of later geological epochs deposits - unless they are exposed by water streams. That's why cretaceous areas are so rare, small and extremely vulnerable.
27 species of plants that grow in "Cretaceous Flora", are rare and listed in the Red Book of Ukraine.

Cretaceous relict pine	Pasque flower Ukrainian
Spring pheasant's eye	Fritillaries