The destruction of a major dam on the banks of the Dnieper River, the dividing line between the Russian and Ukrainian armies on the southern front of the war and whose collapse the two countries blame each other, led to the evacuation of more than 2,000 residents to both sides and ecological damage that has yet to be quantified.
The dam, located in the city of New Kakhovka, in the Kherson region and occupied by Russian forces since February 2022, it began to collapse around 2 a.m. local time, when the Russians blew it up “from the inside,” according to Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky.
A total of 80 cities are in the danger zone along the Dnieper River, the left bank of which is occupied by Russian troops and Ukrainian troops on the right bank. The prosecutor’s office of Ukraine said about 40,000 citizens should be evacuated, about 17,000 in the Ukrainian-controlled part and about 25,000 in the Russian-controlled part.
He Kremlin He flatly denied that he was behind the dam’s destruction and assured that it is a “deliberate sabotage” by Kiev.
The investigative committee, depending on the Russian presidency, subsequently opened a criminal case for “terrorist attack”.
Russian authorities claimed that 11 of the 28 locks at the hydroelectric plant had been destroyed by “a series of numerous attacks” by Ukrainian forces using Alder multiple rocket launchers.
Hours later, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that Kiev “blew up” the dam to prevent offensive action from Russia, which, like Ukraine, has called for a UN Security Council meeting.
crossed accusations
Ukraine’s opposing theory is that Russia blew up the dam to, among other things, “create insurmountable obstacles in the path of the advance of Ukraine’s armed forces,” according to presidential adviser Mikhailo Podolyak.
Russia’s interim governor in Kherson, Vladimir Saldo, assured that the destruction of the dam “will not prevent our army from defending the left bank of the Dnieper River”.
Despite the immediate international condemnation by the European Union (EU) and NATO of the destruction “by Russia” of this civilian infrastructure, some Western media have begun to warn that satellite images taken between May and June 5 show the dam damage has accumulated in the previous days.
Source: El heraldo
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
