INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC PRACTICES FOR THE PROTECTION OF ANIMALS FROM CRUELTY IN THE CONDITIONS OF ARMED CONFLICT

Abstract

The war brought terrible changes – animals became silent victims of the armed conflict. The facts of cynical bullying and physical violence have a negative impact on the psyche of people, especially children and teenagers, shaping certain aspects of their moral behavior. Such actions are also considered as a threat to the moral and legal foundations of society. Therefore, the state is obliged to protect representatives of the animal world and ensure humane and civilized treatment of them, taking into account international legal standards. The article analyzes the problem of animal cruelty during an armed conflict. It is emphasized that the animal world is an important element of the natural environment, the national wealth of Ukraine, a source of spiritual and aesthetic enrichment, an object of scientific research, as well as an important basis for obtaining industrial and medicinal raw materials, food products and other material values. It was emphasized that the activity aimed at the comprehensive protection of animals is an important aspect not only of the modern humanist movement and civilizational progress of Ukraine, but also a reflection of the very identity and dignity of the Ukrainian people. Preserving our identity through freedom, dignity and cultural authenticity becomes a real challenge in the light of Russian aggression. It is established that the main task in the period of military operations is to reduce the suffering of people, while the interests of the environment recede into the background. However, armed conflicts significantly affect natural resources, including animals, because the warring parties do not take into account the negative consequences of their actions for the animal world. The duty of the state is to protect representatives of the animal world, to ensure a humane, civilized attitude towards them. This goal is largely met by established international standards established by the Universal Declaration of Animal Rights (1978), the European Convention for the Protection of Animals during International Transport (1968), the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (1979), the Convention on the Protection of wild flora and fauna and natural habitats in Europe (1979) and domestic criminal legislation, in particular Art. 299 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine establishes criminal liability for animal cruelty.