In southern Ukraine, a major Russian-held dam was hit in an attack on Tuesday, triggering a flood of water that submerged 24 villages and displaced 17,000 people.
The incident has raised fears of a possible human catastrophe. As Moscow and Kiev have exchanged accusations, Washington has warned that the collapse of the Kakhuvka dam, which sits on the front line and supplies cooling water to Europe’s largest nuclear plant, is more likely to cause casualties. Is.
Ukrainian officials claim that the destruction of the dam, which took place early in the war and was seized by Russia, was an attempt by Moscow to impede an expected invasion of Ukraine, stressing that That their plans were not affected. In view of the seriousness of the situation, an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council has been called after the requests of Russia and Ukraine.
The United Nations has warned that millions of people on both sides of the front line could be affected by the devastating consequences. In Kherson, the largest nearby population center, people have fled to higher ground as the Dnipro River swelled with water from the dam. The situation quickly escalates, with Lyudmila, who is carrying a washing machine on a cart attached to an old Soviet car, remarking, “There’s shooting, now there’s flooding.” Sergi echoes the sense of impending doom, saying, “Everything is going to end here,” as the city faces an influx of water from a broken dam.
According to Ukrainian authorities, 17,000 people have been evacuated to safer places and a total of 24 villages have been flooded. More than 40,000 people are at risk of flooding, with another 25,000 needing to be evacuated from the Russian-occupied side of the Dnipro River, Prosecutor General Andriy Kosten revealed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of deliberately blowing up the dam, expressed concern about the possible flooding of 80 settlements and called for a response from the international community. Zielinski called the incident a crime with significant risks to lives and the environment and serious consequences. Kiev has also called a meeting of the UN Security Council and raised concerns about a possible “aquaid” after 150 tonnes of engine oil spilled into the river.
Western countries have blamed Russia for the disaster, with EU chief Charles Michel calling it a “war crime”, while NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg called the dam breach “provocative”. The US has not yet come to a definitive conclusion regarding the cause of the incident. British Prime Minister Rishi Singh said an investigation was underway to determine whether Russia was responsible for the dam collapse, but stressed that it was too early to make a final decision.
Russia, on the other hand, claims that the dam has been partially destroyed by several attacks by Ukrainian forces and urges the international community to condemn Kiev’s “criminal actions”. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says the disaster was the result of deliberate sabotage by Ukraine.
The Kakhovka Dam, built in the 1950s, plays an important role as it sits on the Dnipro River, providing cooling water for the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, currently under Russian control and about 150 km. (90 miles) away. Moscow and Kiev offer conflicting accounts of security.