The study aimed to conduct a comparative legal analysis of the tools and procedures for verifying the causal link between the destructive impact of armed conflicts on the environment and violations of the right to life. The research was based on an examination of the body of legislation and the practice of applying international human rights standards within the jurisdictions of Ukraine, the Netherlands and Azerbaijan. The research established that, as of April 2026, Ukraine had developed a precise model for the criminalisation of war-related environmental damage, with the total amount of recorded environmental damage reaching UAH 6.763 trillion. The study determined that the Dutch investigative system is based on the formation of integrated chains of evidence, where data on the toxicity of weapons allow large-scale pollution to be classified as a direct threat to public safety. The study established that, in the case law of the European Court of Human Rights, the environmental consequences of armed conflicts may be deemed a violation of the fundamental right to life, provided that a real and foreseeable risk to civilians is demonstrated. Large-scale destruction of ecosystems and climate-related damage pose a long-term threat to the population’s safe existence. The study demonstrated that the use of innovative digital recording and open-source intelligence tools ensures the proper documentation of damage in cases where physical access to affected areas is restricted. The study established that environmental safety must be regarded as an integral prerequisite for the realisation of the right to life. Furthermore, the study noted that compensation and reparation mechanisms may be regarded as one of the avenues for restoring violated environmental and human rights safeguards. The practical significance of the study is determined by possible use of results by investigative bodies and forensic experts to develop effective procedures for documenting, proving and internationally verifying war-related environmental crimes in the context of protecting the right to life
environmental damage; documentation of damage; ecocide; forensic examination; evidence gathering; investigation methodic; criminalistic innovations