The dam at the Kakhovka hydropower plant in southern Ukraine has been flooded, adding to the casualties of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Russian-occupied city of Nova Kakhovka, where the dam is located, has been heavily affected, with approximately 300 homes being evacuated.
Russian media reported that the city’s central square is completely flooded, and images showed swans swimming near the main house of culture. Vladimir Leontyev, the Russian-installed head of the city administration, confirmed the flooding and stated that the water level was rising. Authorities dispatched 53 buses to evacuate people from Nova Kakhovka and nearby settlements to safe areas.
Temporary accommodation centers with hot meals were being set up to assist those affected. Emergency rescuers, city administration workers, and soldiers were actively involved in providing aid. A video posted by Leontyev showed the flooded central square and the Dnipro river in the background.
The dam’s destruction is the latest development in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and both countries have accused each other of the attack. Ukrainian authorities warned that water levels could reach critical levels within the next five hours. The regional governor, Oleksandr Prokudin, highlighted the urgency of the situation in a video on his Telegram channel.
Russia claimed that the damage to the dam was a deliberate act of sabotage by Ukraine, intended to cut off the water supply to the Russian-held Crimean peninsula. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov unequivocally declared the incident as deliberate sabotage by Ukraine.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN’s nuclear watchdog, stated that there was no immediate nuclear safety risk. However, the agency is exploring options to provide water for cooling purposes to the dam breach area, which is close to Europe’s largest atomic plant.
The flooding of the dam and the ongoing accusations between Russia and Ukraine further escalate tensions in the conflict, with significant implications for the affected region’s infrastructure, population, and environmental safety.
