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CNN
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A major dam and hydroelectric power plant in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine were destroyed early Tuesday morning, prompting Ukraine to accuse Russian forces of committing acts of “environmental destruction”, raising fears of mass evacuations and massive destruction. caused
According to Ukraine’s Kherson Regional Military Administration, residents of the lower Nova Kakhova dam on the Dnipro River in Kherson were shown on video footage of massive bursts of massive water eruptions and said, “We can do this to save our lives. It is said that it was called to do as much as possible. inside the dam.
Two videos, posted on social media and geolocated by CNN, show a collapsed dam wall and rapid torrents of water rushing into a river. Several buildings at the entrance of the dam were also heavily damaged.
The important Nova Kakhova Dam straddles the Dnipro River, a major waterway in southeastern Ukraine, and downstream includes Kherson, a city of about 300,000 people before Moscow invaded neighboring countries. , with multiple towns and cities.
Several senior Ukrainian officials and military officials have accused Russia of sabotaging the dam.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who called an emergency meeting of security officials, said the destruction “only confirms to the whole world” that Russian forces “must be expelled from every corner of Ukrainian land.” rice field.
“This is environmental destruction,” added Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian president’s office.
“The Russian side will be held responsible for possible deprivation of drinking water for people in the southern Kherson region and Crimea, possible destruction of some settlements and the biosphere,” he said.
European Council President Charles Michel also appeared to blame Russia, writing on Twitter that “Russia and its agents” would be held accountable.
“I was shocked by the unprecedented attack on the Nova Kakhovka Dam,” he said, adding that the attack “clearly constitutes a war crime.”
In recent days, Ukrainian forces have intensified their battle against entrenched Russian front lines in the south and east ahead of the widely anticipated summer counteroffensive.
President Zelensky’s senior aide, Mikhail Podlyak, said the destruction of the dam “will pose an obstacle to the offensive actions of the Ukrainian army.”
“This confirms once again that the Kremlin is not thinking strategically, but rather in terms of short-term situational advantage. But the consequences are already devastating. It’s happening,” he told CNN.
The Ukrainian military accused Russian forces of “panicking” and blowing up the dam.
Ukrainian authorities urged residents living downstream to flee the area.
“Evacuation in the danger zone has begun,” Ukrainian-appointed Kherson Regional Military Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said in a video statement posted on Telegram, urging citizens to “collect documents and most necessary belongings and wait for evacuation.” ” he called. bus. ”
“I urge you to do everything you can to save lives. Please leave the dangerous area immediately,” he added.
Units of the Ukrainian National Police and the State Emergency Service of the Kherson region are on alert to issue a warning and evacuate civilians from the potential flooding area, according to Ukraine’s Interior Ministry.
As water levels rose, authorities urged residents of flooded areas to turn off all electrical appliances, carry documents and essentials, take care of loved ones and pets, and follow instructions from rescue workers and police.
By contrast, Russian local officials made less urgent statements.
Vladimir Leontyev, the mayor of the Russian-installed city of Nova Kakhovka, initially denied the collapse of the dam as “nonsense” in an interview with Russian state media RIA Novosti.
He later admitted that part of the dam had been destroyed as a “serious act of terrorism” but said there was “no need to evacuate”.
“An overnight attack on the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant destroyed a gate valve and allowed water to flow uncontrollably downstream,” Leontiev said.
Another Russian-appointed Kherson official, Andrei Aleksenko, also downplayed the threat, saying the situation on the Dnipro riverbank was “under control”.
“There is no threat to people’s lives,” Aleksenko said, adding that officials from the Ministry of Emergency Situations control the water level of the river.
“If necessary, we are ready to evacuate the residents of Embankment Village, and buses are also available,” Alexenko added.
CNN was unable to immediately confirm the claims of Ukrainian and Russian officials.
Throughout the course of the Ukraine war, Moscow and Kiev have accused each other of plotting to blow up Soviet-era dams.
The dam, a critical piece of infrastructure, holds about 18 cubic kilometers of water in the Kakhovka Reservoir, roughly the size of Utah’s Great Salt Lake, according to Reuters.
The 30-meter-tall, 3.2-kilometer (2-mile) long structure is one of six dams along the Dnipro River, which covers most of southeastern Ukraine and was annexed by Russia in 2014. It supplies water to the Crimean peninsula.
It also supplies water to the upstream Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, which is also under Russian control.
A spokesman for the Southern Armed Forces of Ukraine said on Tuesday that the destruction of the dam would “definitely” affect the operation of the nuclear power plant, but that “there is no need to escalate the situation to the most important conclusions right now.”
“Because all the experts are involved and trying to create better conditions to avoid the next technological catastrophe,” Natalia Hmenuk said, “the situation is now under control.” added.
And the International Atomic Energy Agency said that Zaporizhia “has no immediate nuclear safety risk” and that experts were “monitoring the situation closely”.
The Ukrainian Atomic Energy Agency Energoatom said the power plant’s “turbine condenser and safety system replenishment” required water from the reservoir, but the cooling pond was “full” and at 8am local time “water level is 16.6 degrees.” meters, which is sufficient for the needs of the plant. ”
In November, the Nova Kakhovka Dam was damaged by artillery fire, and satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies obtained by CNN showed water flowing out of the dam’s three locks.
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