The war in Ukraine has been so devastating to the landscape, it has left a scar that is visible from space.
According to an exclusive report by NPR, between 5.2 and 6.9 million acres (2.1-2.8 million hectares) of prime farmland have been abandoned as a result of the war since 2021.
NPR cites a new analysis by NASA's Harvest program, which shows the abandoned fields represent between 6.5 and 8.5% of Ukraine's total cropland.
The devastation is so extreme, the scar in the landscape can be seen in satellite images from space -- but it's not exactly what you might think.
Instead of a barren path of land, the untended farmland appears bright green because it has filled with weeds and other plants, NPR noted.
According to the report, the abandoned farmland has cost Ukraine $2 billion (and counting) in lost crops.
"The NASA-backed researchers say that perhaps the largest obstacle to farming is the vast amount of artillery ammunition being lobbed by each side towards the other," NPR reported.
Josef Wagner, a graduate student at the University of Strasbourg who's working on the Harvest team, speculated that the satellite images show whether a field is in the range of enemy shelling.
"When you look at the images, you can draw the line where it's cultivated and where it's not," Wagner told NPR.
While the farmland has been abandoned, farmers have still managed to keep producing, many by shifting what crops are grown, according to the report.
