Ukraine faces escalating locust invasion amid climate and conflict challenges in 2025

An unprecedented migratory locust outbreak in Ukraine’s southern and central regions is threatening crops and ecosystems, exacerbated by climate conditions and ongoing conflict, prompting urgent control measures and ecological concerns.

In 2025, Ukraine is grappling with a significant locust invasion across its southern and central agricultural regions. The outbreak predominantly involves the migratory locust (Locusta migratoria), one of the largest and most wides...

pread locust species globally, known for inhabiting steppe, semi-desert, and wetland areas. Despite some early media reports labeling the insects as “Egyptian locusts,” experts clarify that the Egyptian locust (Anacridium aegyptium) does not form large migratory swarms and is not the species responsible for the current agricultural threat. Rather, it is the migratory locust, whose distribution spans Eurasia, Africa, Australia, and even New Zealand, that has multiplied rapidly and formed swarms impacting Ukraine’s southern territories.

This surge in locust populations is linked to a complex interplay of climatic, environmental, and anthropogenic factors, exacerbated by the ongoing war. Climatic conditions over the past few years have been exceptionally favourable for locust breeding: a warm winter with minimal soil freezing, a hot summer with fluctuating rainfall patterns, followed by a dry autumn, created optimal conditions for egg incubation and larval development. Moreover, the peak in solar activity in 2024 and 2025 aligns historically with periods of mass locust reproduction, amplifying the issue.

A notable environmental trigger was the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in June 2023, which led to extensive flooding along the lower Dnipro River. The flooding, followed by a recession of waters, exposed large wetland areas with moist, sun-warmed soils ideal for locust egg laying and feeding, especially in the Lower Dnipro National Park and adjacent wetlands. Analysts point out that these changes significantly expanded suitable harborage for locust populations. However, the dam’s collapse also unleashed a toxic legacy: sediment studies reveal the lakebed contained tens of thousands of tonnes of heavy metals and pollutants, now dispersing into river systems with uncertain long-term ecological consequences. This environmental crisis compounds the challenges faced by agricultural and ecological systems in the region.

Furthermore, the ongoing conflict has severely hampered monitoring and control efforts. Territories occupied or near front lines are inaccessible for preventive spraying or destruction of locust breeding sites, and funding and specialist availability remain constrained. Restrictions on airspace and active hostilities preclude the use of agricultural aircraft for targeted insecticide application, a method proven effective in previous outbreaks elsewhere. These operational challenges echo experiences from other conflict zones such as Yemen and Ethiopia, where warfare similarly impeded responses to locust swarms.

By mid-2025, countries reported active locust invasions from eastern and southern parts of Ukraine. Special plant protection regimes were introduced in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, with thousands of hectares treated chemically to contain outbreaks. Despite these measures, locusts have continued to spread, threatening critical agricultural staples such as sunflower crops, with concerns of harvest losses reaching up to 100% in the hardest-hit districts like Dnipropetrovsk. The locusts’ preference for reed beds and crops similar in morphology to reeds, such as corn, facilitates their rapid proliferation and movement across Ukraine’s steppe zones and river delta areas.

Looking ahead, experts caution that the locust threat is likely to persist and potentially intensify between 2026 and 2028 if current meteorological patterns continue. The widespread ploughing of natural meadows and steppes right up to riparian and wetland edges can inadvertently create new breeding grounds by exposing moist, warm soils suitable for egg incubation. This agricultural practice, coupled with disrupted crop rotations and war-affected landscapes, could further destabilize the balance between locusts and their natural predators.

Preventive and mitigation strategies emphasise integrated landscape management, such as establishing buffer zones around reed beds, strict crop rotation avoiding corn succession near wetlands, and habitat conservation for locust predators including various bird species and reptiles. Chemical control remains essential but should target larval clusters with anti-locust agents rather than broad-spectrum insecticides to minimise ecological disruption. Additionally, sustained monitoring and research are necessary to understand how ongoing landscape transformations—such as expanding rice cultivation in southern Ukraine—and climatic fluctuations will influence locust dynamics.

Beyond the immediate agricultural losses, the locust swarms perform notable ecological roles by consuming excess vegetation that could otherwise fuel wildfires, thereby influencing carbon cycling in these ecosystems. Nonetheless, the human and economic stakes remain high, particularly in a conflict-ridden country where farming is both a livelihood and a strategic resource.

Ultimately, the Ukraine locust invasion illustrates a complex nexus of climatic shifts, environmental degradation, human conflict, and agricultural vulnerability. Addressing it will require combining emergency pest control with long-term ecological and landscape stewardship, alongside peace and security restoration to enable effective monitoring and intervention.

Source: Noah Wire Services