Askania-Nova is a biosphere reserve in the left-bank part of Kherson Oblast, which is occupied by Russia. The Russian army keeps military equipment on protected land, animals are being taken to Crimea and Russia, and according to Greenpeace, Russian soldiers hunt rare wildlife there. Police have named the reserve's director a suspect in the illegal removal of endangered animals to Russia. The reserve has almost lost its Cape buffalo collection, and in September 2026 it was reported that up to 150 saigas had died from a viral outbreak. Between June 22 and late August 2026, more than 6,300 hectares of the reserve burned. In 2025, there were talks of moving the reserve from Kherson Oblast to Odesa Oblast.
MykVisti covers steppe fires in the reserve, the fate of its animals under occupation, criminal cases over their removal and plans to relocate the reserve.