Kyiv region restores explosion crater with biochar, organic matter, and microorganisms
Explosion craters do more than change the surface of a field. Explosions can create microcracks in the geological profile, disrupt underground hydrology, and mix different soil layers. This, in turn, can lead to a loss of soil fertility at crater sites. At the same time, even if the surface visually returns to normal — that is, if the soil has been leveled — this does not necessarily mean the problem has been solved. It may remain deeper underground.
In the Kyiv region, however, specialists found a way to restore soil areas damaged by explosions.
Vira Rodionova, a representative of the public union "Permaculture in Ukraine," presented an experiment to restore one crater using Rozum's warm beds, an organic farming method patented by Volodymyr Rozum. The crater was filled with organic matter, biochar, microorganisms, and bokashi [fermented organic matter – ed.]. This was intended to create an airy and nutrient-rich structure needed to bring soil life back.
Biochar is charcoal that can absorb hazardous substances. Together with organic matter and microorganisms, it becomes part of an environment that allows the soil to recover gradually. This approach is one of several possible restoration methods, alongside biological products, vermicompost, phytoremediation, natural recovery, and conservation.
After several seasons, nettles appeared on the restored plot. For the participants in the experiment, this became a visual sign that fertility was returning.
At the same time, there is no universal method for restoring contaminated land. What helped one plot may not work on another. That is why any method should be chosen only after diagnosing the specific soil.
Background
For Ukraine, soil is the foundation of food security, the economy, and community life. Before Russia's full-scale war, about 14% of the country's population worked in agriculture, and the sector itself generated roughly 40% of Ukraine's export revenue. That makes war-related soil damage not only an environmental issue, but also an economic and social one.
Today, Ukrainian farmers face shell craters, unexploded ordnance, burned military equipment, fuel and oil contamination, heavy metal pollution, fires, disrupted water systems, and soil compaction caused by military vehicles. The biggest challenge, however, is that the damage is not always visible on the surface.
One can read about other ways to restore soils after hostilities in Rubryka's article.
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11 of August 2026
