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Southern Ukraine Threatened With Massive Floods As Kyiv Says Russia Destroyed Key Dam

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Updated Jun 6, 2023, 08:55am EDT

Topline

A key dam and hydroelectric power plant in southern Ukraine was partially destroyed Tuesday, purportedly by an explosion Kyiv claims was carried out by occupying Russian forces, raising the threat of massive flooding in the region.

Key Facts

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attributed the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam to “Russian terrorists” in a Telegram post.

The dam is located in the town of Kakhovskaya, which is under Russian control and is part of a frontline between the Ukrainian forces and the occupying Russian military.

Vladimir Leontiev, the Moscow-installed mayor of the Kakhovskaya, told Russian state media the damage was caused by shelling from the Ukrainian side, but added that the structure had not been destroyed.

The governor of Kherson province, Oleksandr Prokudin. said on Telegram nine settlements in the region have already been completely or partially flooded by the destruction of the dam, adding that around 16,000 people are residing in the “critical zone” where the flooding may be most severe.

Prokudin added residents in the flooded regions are being evacuated to Kherson, from where further evacuations to other parts of the country will be carried out.

What To Watch For

Ukraine’s state-run nuclear power operator Energoatom warned the “rapidly decreasing” water level at the Kakhovka reservoir could pose an additional threat to operations at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant—which is also under Russian occupation. The statement, however, indicated that there was no immediate threat as the plant has sufficient water in its cooling pond as of Tuesday morning. In a statement on Twitter, the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency said its experts at the Zaporizhzhia plant are “closely monitoring the situation,” and there was “no immediate nuclear safety risk at plant.”

Crucial Quote

In an official statement that included an aerial video the destroyed dam, Zelensky said: “The destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam only confirms for the whole world that they must be expelled from every corner of Ukrainian land. Not a single meter should be left to them, because they use every meter for terror.”

Further Reading

Ukraine accuses Russia of destroying major dam near Kherson, warns of ecological disaster (Associated Press)

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