Heavy rains have caused major flooding in areas of Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova resulting in the deaths of at least 30 people in Western Ukraine with many still missing. A top Ukrainian Emergencies Ministry official said logging could have exacerbated the effects of the floods. "I share the opinion that one of the causes of the disastrous flood in Ukraine was the uncontrolled cutting down of trees," Vasyl Dourdynets said at a news conference, as reported by Novosti. Unregulated logging has drastically increased in post-Soviet Ukraine.

It is widely believed that one of the main reasons for the severe flooding seen in Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova in recent years is that deforested regions are less able to absorb water. In addition, nothing prevents water from rushing down the Carpathian Mountains in the event of heavy rains. The Ukrainian government allocated $1.2 billion in flood relief with much of the funds coming from higher than expected value-added-tax receipts. Six regions were declared "emergency ecological zones". Russia was among the first countries offering help to the damaged regions and displaced citizens.