However, according to Russian authorities, 22,000 people are at risk of flooding.
(Photo: AP)
Kherson A large and important dam close to the front line in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine has been severely damaged, according to the warring parties. On Tuesday morning, Kiev and Moscow blamed each other for the events in the Kherson region, with potentially serious consequences.
The Ukrainian Southern Task Force announced that the Russian occupiers had blown up the dam in the town of Novakakhovka. The region’s military governor, Olexander Prokudin, warned that water levels could reach critical levels within five hours.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky convened the National Security Council in Kiev. Military chief Prokudin said the evacuation had started on the left bank of the Dnieper, where Kherson, the liberated Ukrainian capital of the region, is located. “The extent of the damage, the speed and volume of the water flow and possible flood areas are being determined,” he said. So far, according to information from Ukraine, about 300 houses have been evacuated.
On the other hand, the Russian occupiers blamed the damage of the Kakhovka Dam on the Ukrainian shelling. “The water level has risen,” Moscow’s appointed mayor, Vladimir Leontiev, said, according to Russian state news agencies. So far, however, there has been no need to bring civilians to safety.
However, according to Russian authorities, 22,000 people are at risk of flooding. That’s the report by Russian state news agency RIA, citing Russia’s installed government in the occupied Kherson region of Ukraine. People live in 14 settlements in southern Kherson region. About 80 towns and cities could be affected by the dam failure, according to Russian state news agency TASS.
water level may be an issue
However, Mayor Leondiev acknowledged that there may be problems with water supplies on the Crimean Black Sea peninsula, south of Kherson, which was annexed by Russia in 2014. This is water provided by the Kachowka reservoir. Information provided by both parties about the incident at the dam could not initially be independently verified.
Videos shared on Ukrainian media and social networks appear to show rising water levels around the city of Kherson. In addition, audio recordings were shared which apparently showed large quantities of water flowing from the dam wall in Kachowka. The authenticity of the video could not be independently verified initially.
Given the tense situation, President Zelenskiy convened the Security Council. “Russian terrorists,” Zelensky also wrote on Telegram. “The destruction of the Kakhovka dam has shown the world that they must be driven from every corner of Ukraine.”
Different data on the safety of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant
However, there are different opinions on the safety of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. According to Russia, the collapse of the dam does not pose an immediate threat to the nuclear power plant. The news was reported by Russian state news agency TASS, citing an administrative representative deployed by Russia in the occupied Zaporozhye region.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), there is no immediate danger from nuclear power plants.
(Photo: dpa)
There is also no immediate danger, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). TASS quoted a statement from the International Atomic Energy Agency saying its experts were monitoring the situation.
However, Energoatom, Ukraine’s atomic energy agency, considers the plant dangerous. Energoatom reported on Telegram that the situation at the nuclear power plant is now under control. “Water from the Kachowka reservoir is essential for the plant to power the turbine condensers and the safety systems of the nuclear power plant,” explains Energoatom. “Currently, the plant’s cooling water pool is full: at 8:00 am, the water level was 16.6 meters, which is sufficient to meet the plant’s needs.”
Russia attacked neighboring Ukraine more than 15 months ago and has targeted the Cherson region as part of its war of aggression. Ukrainian troops then managed to liberate parts of the region last fall — including the eponymous regional capital of Chersson. However, towns south of the Dnieper remain under Russian control, including the town of Novakhovka dam.
This is how Handelsblatt reports on the war in Ukraine:
In recent months, Ukrainians have repeatedly warned of possible sabotage by the Russians at Novakakhovka. There were particular concerns last November when the occupiers announced their withdrawal from the city.
more: You can find the latest developments in our news blog about the war in Ukraine