Editing Second Chechen War (section)

===Material and environmental damage===
Environmental agencies warn that the Russian republic of Chechnya, devastated by war, faced ecological disaster. A former aide to Boris Yeltsin said Russian bombing has rendered Chechnya an "environmental wasteland."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.american.edu/TED/ice/chechnya.htm |title=Chechnya Conflict and Environmental Implications |publisher=American.edu |access-date=17 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111125034703/http://www1.american.edu/ted/ice/chechnya.htm |archive-date=25 November 2011 }}</ref> Several [[oil spill]]s and pollution from [[sanitary sewer|sewers]] were caused by war (the water is polluted to a depth of 250&nbsp;m<ref>[http://www.kommersant.com/p-92/r_436/Chechen_Republic/ Chechen Republic // GENERAL INFORMATION] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514163311/http://www.kommersant.com/p-92/r_436/Chechen_Republic/ |date=14 May 2016 }}, Kommersant, 10 March 2004</ref>), and chemical and [[radioactive pollution]], as a result of the bombardment of chemical facilities and storages during the conflict.<ref name="ravaged"/> Chechnya's wildlife also sustained heavy damage during the hostilities, as animals that had once populated the Chechen forests have moved off to seek safer ground.<ref>[http://www.watchdog.cz/index.php?show=000000-000002-000001-000110-000048&lang=1 Military operations greatly alter Chechen mountain life] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304193914/http://www.watchdog.cz/index.php?show=000000-000002-000001-000110-000048&lang=1 |date=4 March 2016 }}, Prague Watchdog, 4 May 2003</ref> In 2004, Russian government has designated one-third of Chechnya a "zone of ecological disaster" and another 40% "a zone of extreme environmental distress".<ref>[http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2004/723/sc211.htm 'In the Caucasus, you can buy anything'] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071016111527/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2004/723/sc211.htm |date=16 October 2007 }}, ''Al-Ahram Weekly'', 2004</ref>

Approximately 60,000 housing units were damaged or destroyed, while {{convert|30000|ha|km2}} of [[agricultural land]] were contamined by explosives.{{sfn|Sakwa|2005|p=40}}