Dam collapse flooded several regions in Kherson Maxar Technologies/Handout via Portal/05/05/2023
The Kakhovka Dam in Kherson, a Russianoccupied region in southern Ukrainian territory, was partially destroyed last Tuesday (6). So far, neither Moscow nor Kiev have taken responsibility for what happened and are exchanging allegations in a war of mouthpieces.
Internationalist Rodrigo Reis of the Global Attitude Institute explains that the two countries directly involved in the conflict are engaged in a “war of narratives” over the rupture and the aftermath of the flood.
The Russian Foreign Ministry released a statement calling on the international community to “condemn the criminal actions of the Ukrainian authorities” which pose a “serious threat to regional and global security”. Russia also told the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that Kiev had destroyed the dam with “violent” artillery strikes.
The Ukrainian authorities, however, accused the Russian forces of having blown up the dam to prevent a counteroffensive by the region’s troops in the country. Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyy called on “the world to react to the destruction of the dam”.
According to Rodrigo, the dam has strategic factors that would justify an attack on the structure for either side.
“Russia occupies the city where the dam is located and is interested in blocking the offensive planned by Ukraine to retake the territory. The region of the reservoir could be a route for the advance of Ukrainian troops,” explains the expert.
On the Ukrainian side, the civilian population was severely affected by the floods Mykola Tymchenko/ EFE 06/06/2026
On the Ukrainian side, the civilian population was severely affected by the floods. It is estimated that around 40 villages are affected by the rising water level of the Dnipro River. According to Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko, more than 20,000 households were left without power this week.
Although Kyiv is suffering the consequences of the situation, it would also have reason to use the water reservoir as a means of influencing Moscow. “This dam is responsible for the water supply of Crimea, which was invaded by Russia in 2014. So the destruction can be interpreted as a way to cut off the water supply to a region controlled by Russia,” says Rodrigo.
The expert explains that the Geneva Convention prohibits attacks on infrastructure such as electricity pylons and water reservoirs, as it is a direct attack on civilians in the war zone.
According to the Red Cross, around 50 volunteers took part in evacuation operations on Ukrainian territory. UN aid received a boost this week.
At least four people were killed in the flooding and another 13 are missing. In the Kievcontrolled part of the Kherson region, 2,412 people have been evacuated from their homes so far.
nuclear disaster
Water was used to supply the largest nuclear power plant in Europe Aleksey Filippov / AFP 07.06.2023
There is the Kakhovka Dam, which supplies water to cool the nuclear power plant some 150 kilometers upstream in Russianoccupied Zaporizhia.
“The water was used to supply the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, so it is of strategic importance for cooling. Basically, it doesn’t endanger the infrastructure or the region, but you have to be very careful about it,” says Rodrigo.
The head of the Ukrainian operator Ukrhydroenergo, Ihor Syrota, even claimed that the water reserves were no longer sufficient to cool the reactors.
However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed to the AFP news agency that the Zaporizhia power plant is still drawing water from the dam’s reserves.
After an evaluation, it was found that the water pump operation “can continue even if the level falls below 12.7 meters,” according to a statement by the UN organization.
View images of the destruction of the dam in Ukraine from space
Images released by AFP on Wednesday (7) show the collapse of Ukraine’s hydroelectric dam from space. The company Planet Labs made a comparison between the sites before and after the flood. The “grey” markings in the images illustrate the extent of the disaster. Satellite analysis had already identified damage to the dam, including the destruction of a nearby road bridge. Ukrainian and Russian authorities blame each other for the collapse of the dam. Ukrainian military intelligence claims Russian terrorists staged an internal explosion, while Russian officials have described the incident as an “act of terrorism” ordered by Kiev. The collapse occurred during Ukraine’s preparations for a counteroffensive against Russian forces. The situation has heightened tensions between the two warring factions. The Kremlin denied the allegations, saying the attack was planned and carried out on orders from Kiev to deprive Crimea of water. The city of Kherson and other surrounding towns are at risk. In addition to the dangers to the population, there are also environmental concerns, particularly with regard to water availability. The Nova Kakhovka Dam is the largest reservoir in Ukraine