Russia's war has devastated the forests of eastern Ukraine, and a return to the pre-war condition will be impossible under transformative climate change. We can look to history for inspiration for the restored ecosystems of the future.

Brian Milakovsky is a forester who has worked on sustainable forest management in Ukraine, Sweden, Russia, and his native Maine. From 2015-2023 he lived in Sievierondonetsk, Ukraine, working on economic recovery programs funded by USAID. He left with his wife and daughter at the start of the full-scale invasion. He lives in Bath, Maine.