(Dan Tri) – Ukraine accused Russia of blowing up the Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric dam, leading to the risk of flooding in the city of Kherson.
Satellite photo of the Kakhovka dam on the Dnieper River in Ukraine (Photo: Maxar).
`The level of destruction, water speed and flow, as well as potentially flooded areas are being determined,` the Southern Operations Command of the Ukrainian army announced today, June 6.
The Ukrainian army accused Russia of destroying the Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric dam with explosives in the Russian-controlled area of Kherson.
Vladimir Leontyev, Mayor of Novaya Kakhovka, confirmed to RIA Novosti that part of the dam `was destroyed as a result of an attack`.
According to Mr. Leontyev, the water level downstream has increased to 2.5 meters, and said there is no need to evacuate people at this time.
The strategic hydroelectric dam in Kherson collapsed (Source: RT).
Moscow has repeatedly blamed Kiev for the attacks on the Kakhovka dam, and warned that Kiev’s move could cause a disaster and kill thousands of civilians.
Renat Karchaa, advisor to the General Director of the Russian Nuclear Energy Group Rosenergoatom, warned on May 4 that if the Nova Kakhovka dam breaks, the power lines supplying the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine will be flooded.
Last November, after Russia withdrew its troops from the nearby city of Kherson, satellite images showed significant new damage to the Kakhovka Dam.
The Kakhovka hydroelectric dam was built on the Dnieper River, located in an area controlled by the Russian army.
Location of Kherson province and Dnieper river in Ukraine (Photo: US Department of Defense).
The breach of the Kakhovka Dam could create a giant `wall of water`, causing residential areas towards Kherson province, southern Ukraine to be flooded.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on world leaders to warn that detonating the dam would be `similar to the use of weapons of mass destruction`, and would have consequences similar to Russia’s use of weapons of mass destruction.
Kherson province in southern Ukraine is considered an important link in Russia’s strategy to establish a land corridor from the Crimean peninsula to Eastern and Southern Ukraine.