In the Kherson region, the evacuation of residents began after the destruction of the Kachovské dam

Update: 06.06.2023 07:11

Kyiv – In the Kherson region in the south of Ukraine, the evacuation of residents began after the destruction of the Kakhovsky Dam. According to local Ukrainian military officials, the water should reach a critical level within five hours. This is reported by the Russian-language version of the BBC. Officials deployed by Russia in the area, which is partly occupied, say that there is no need for an evacuation yet. At the same time, however, the Russian news agency TASS reported that the destruction of the large dam could affect about 80 municipalities.

The Ukrainian military claims that Russian troops blew up the Kachov dam in the occupied part of southern Ukraine. Some areas may be at risk of flooding. The Ukrinform agency informs about it today. Information about destruction of a large dam, which had already spread on social networks, was also confirmed by the Russian agency TASS. The Reuters agency, citing TASS and a pro-Russian official in the area, wrote that the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant is not yet in critical danger due to the destruction of the dam from which it draws water for its cooling system.

Local Russian officials, on the other hand, blame Ukrainian troops.

Ukrainian authorities said the level in the reservoir was dropping at a rate of about 15 centimeters per hour. They urged residents to stock up on water as much as possible.

“The Russian occupation forces blew up the Kakhovka hydropower plant. We are currently determining the extent of the damage, the speed and volume of water, and the likely areas of flooding,” Ukraine’s Southern Command said in a telegram.

The Russian-appointed mayor of Nová Kakhovka, which is located next to the dam, initially called the reports about the bombing of the dam and the hydroelectric power plant nonsense and noted that everywhere in the city is calm and quiet. But not long after, the TASS agency reported that the dam was indeed destroyed and quoted this mayor as saying that Ukrainian shelling and a “terrorist attack” were behind it.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi already stated last October that Russia is preparing an attack on the Kachovské Dam, which could lead to the flooding of Kherson, which is located nearby, and dozens of other municipalities. The Russian occupation administration, on the other hand, claimed that the attack on the dam was planned by Ukraine.

Water from the dam is also used in the cooling system of the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. The Ukrainian military administration of the Zaporozhye region said in February that if the dam’s level continued to fall, the cooling of the Zaporozhye power plant would be at risk.

“Although the drop in the water level does not represent an immediate threat to nuclear safety, it may become a source of concern if it is allowed to continue,” stated the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi at the time.