“The Biggest Man-Made Catastrophe in Decades!” This is how Ukraine described the rupture of the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine. The structure was 30 meters high and more than three kilometers long. It dams the Dnipro (Russian Dnieper) just before it flows into the Black Sea to form the huge Kachowka Reservoir, which itself looks like a sea for its size.
It is about 85 kilometers downstream from the dam to Kherson, and about 150 kilometers upstream to the site of the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant in the town of Enerhodar. However, the nuclear power plant is not in danger, it said.
Russia and Ukraine blame each other
It is unclear who destroyed the dam. Russia and Ukraine blame each other. A video showing an explosion would have turned out to be fake. However, photos and videos show how the immense bodies of water are now flowing downstream. According to the Ukrainian government, up to 80 cities on the Dnipro are threatened by flooding, according to the Russian authorities, 20,000 people are affected.
The Kachowka Dam is strategically important for several reasons. The hydroelectric plant, the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is partly cooled with water from the lake, and a nearby coal-fired power station produced 30 percent of Ukraine’s electricity generated.
Via canals, a dry steppe was developed for agriculture and a river basin of three million people was supplied with drinking water. And: The reservoir was a barrier that determined the direction of attack of the Russian invasion troops.
Since the loss of the city of Cherson, there has always been a fear that the Russians – who controlled the dam – might blow it up. However, since the left bank, which was still controlled by Russian invasion forces, suffered more from flooding, this initially seemed unlikely.
The water level at the dam fell by two meters
However, since the beginning of 2023, experts note that the water level of the dam has dropped by two meters in a short time. “So the level is the lowest it’s ever been,” analyzed Igor Pylypenko and Daria Malchykova, geography and ecology experts at Kherson University.
This led to the assumption that the Russian troops would withdraw from the area to the left of the Dnipro and then blow up the dam, as the tidal wave would not be so devastating to the retreating troops due to the lower water level.
Video: Selenskyj blames “Russian occupiers” for destruction
Drinking water supply for 400,000 people at risk
The consequences for Ukraine are catastrophic: three power plants, which generated a third of Ukraine’s electricity before the Russian attack, are out of action. The drinking water supply of 400,000 people, including the cities of Melitopol and Berdyansk, is at risk, as is that of Crimea.
The livelihoods of nearly half a million people will be destroyed for years by the destruction of agricultural areas. And: due to the floods, the possible deployment area for the Ukrainian army for the counter-offensive has become many times smaller.
US: Russia would have destroyed the dam
US intelligence findings indicate that Russia was behind the destruction of the Kakhovka dam. “This is another devastating consequence of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in New York. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu accused Ukrainian forces of being responsible for the destruction of the dam. The responsible Roman Catholic diocesan bishop of Odessa, Stanislaw Szyrokoradiuk, also reported on an “unimaginably catastrophic situation” in the Kherson region following the destruction of the dam.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
