Kakhovka Dam Explodes, Triggering Devastating Flood in Southern Ukraine
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Videos on social media capture intense explosions at Kakhovka Dam, while others show shocked bystanders witnessing the destructive surge of water through the dam’s remnants.
On June 5, 2023, a satellite image reveals the state of Nova Khakovka Dam in the Kherson region of Ukraine. (Photo: Reuters)
According to reports from Ukrainian and Russian forces, a massive Soviet-era dam located in the Russian-controlled part of southern Ukraine was deliberately destroyed on Tuesday, resulting in a destructive flood engulfing the war zone. Both sides involved in the conflict accused each other of being responsible for the dam’s destruction.
Numerous unverified videos circulated on social media, capturing a sequence of powerful explosions near the Kakhovka dam.
Additional videos depicted the relentless rush of water through the remnants of the dam, while onlookers expressed their astonishment and dismay, occasionally using strong language.
A 30-meter-tall (yards) and 3.2 km (2 miles) long dam, constructed in 1956 as part of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant on the Dnipro River, has been severely impacted.
The dam, which encompasses an 18 km3 reservoir, plays a crucial role in providing water to the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014, and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, also under Russian control.
Ukraine’s military has alleged that the dam was deliberately detonated by Russian forces.
On Tuesday, the South Command of Ukraine’s Armed Forces asserted on its Facebook page, “The Kakhovka Dam was blown up by the Russian occupying forces.”
The statement indicated that the extent of the destruction, the rate and quantity of water release, and the probable areas of flooding were still being assessed.
Meanwhile, Russian news agencies reported that the dam, under the control of Russian forces, had been destroyed due to shelling.
However, a Russian-appointed official claimed it was a terrorist attack, using the term “terrorist” as a reference to an assault by Ukraine.
It is important to note that Reuters, at the time, could not promptly verify the accounts provided by either side regarding the events on the battlefield.
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