At least 16 people have died in Ukraine as a result of the flooding caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, Kyiv officials have said.
Settlements on the left bank of Dnieper River are underwater after the Kakhovka Dam was breached on 6th June, 2023.Photo: Armyinform, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Russian officials claim that 29 people have died in the territories controlled by Moscow, Reuters has reported.
On June 6, the breaching of the Kakhovka Dam resulted in the release of floodwaters over a wide area in southern Ukraine and in the parts of the country under Russian occupation.
This led to the destruction of farmland and the disruption of essential supplies to civilians.
Around 3,600 individuals have been evacuated from the flooded regions in the Kherson and Mykolaiv areas. However, 31 people are still missing, and approximately 1,300 houses remain submerged, as reported by Ukraine’s interior ministry through its Telegram channel on Saturday.
Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of intentionally destroying the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, which has been under Russian control since the early stages of the 2022 invasion.
President Zelensky referred to this attack as „ecocide” earlier this week.
A group of international legal experts aiding Ukraine’s prosecutors in their investigation has issued preliminary findings stating that it is highly likely the collapse of the dam in Ukraine’s Kherson region was caused by explosives planted by Russians.
Separately, the New York Times, citing engineers and explosive experts, said evidence suggested Russia „blew it [the Kakhovka dam et.] from within.”
(ał)
Source: Reuters