Explosion destroys a dam in Ukraine; City is flooded and European nuclear plant is threatened
Ukrhydroenergo, the Ukrainian operator of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam, was the target of an attack. Kiev blames Moscow for its complete destruction of the dam.
Water rushes through a gap in the Nova Kakhovka dam on Tuesday. Photo Reproduction / AP
An explosion hit early this Tuesday (06) the New Kakhovka dam, located in the southern region of Ukraine under Russian control, flooding the city of New Kakhovka and threatening the operation of the Zaporizhzhia power plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. Both Russian and Ukrainian authorities are accusing each other of responsibility for this incident.
Explosion
The attacked dam was built in 1956 and houses a reservoir with a capacity of 18 km³. This reservoir is responsible for supplying water to the Crimean peninsula and to the Zaporizhzhia power plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, both located in Russian-controlled Ukrainian territories. After the explosion, the water level rose about 5 meters, resulting in the flooding of the homes of residents close to the Dnipro River, which crosses the dam. As a result, these residents have already left their homes.
Photo Reproduction / satellite image
According to Ukrhydroenergo, Ukraine's leading hydroelectric generation company, the dam and Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant were completely destroyed due to an explosion that occurred in the dam's engine room. In a communique released this Tuesday, the company declared that the plant cannot be restored and attributed responsibility for the explosion to Russian forces, who carried out the overnight attack against the region. Authorities are in a race against time to evacuate residents from areas at risk of flooding and assess the extent of the damage caused. Water levels are rapidly draining and it is estimated that the reservoir will be depleted in the next four days, as informed by the company.
Video circulating on social media shows the exact moment of the explosion.
Evacuation
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine released a statement on Tuesday morning that police and emergency teams are on standby to assist in the evacuation of civilians from areas potentially flooded due to the overflow of the dam. Due to the increase in the water level, the ministry asked everyone in the "danger zone"Turn off your electrical appliances, gather documents and essentials, and keep your loved ones and animals safe.
Still according to information from the ministry, the regions considered as a "danger zone" include the following villages: Mykolaivka, Olhivka, Liovo, Tiahynka, Poniativka, Ivanivka, Tokarivka, Poniativka, Prydniprovske, Sadove, in addition to the district of Korabel Island, belonging to the city of Kherson. Currently, there are ongoing evacuation operations and it was reported by a local military official that at least eight locations in the Kherson region have already been flooded.
"Trust the police, rescue teams and our defenders," the ministry said in its statement. “The enemy is trying to spread disinformation, to absolve himself of responsibility for another crime.”
Photo Reproduction / Social Networks
The governor of Kherson, linked to the government of Ukraine, said that the water could reach critical levels in the next few hours. the risk of flooding. A state of emergency has been declared in the New Kakhovka district, according to Russian state media.
Exchange of accusations
Ukrainian military forces accused Russian forces of being responsible for the dam explosion in the town of Nova Kakhovka, despite denials from Moscow. "The occupiers blew up the Kakhovka reservoir dam in a panic - this is an obvious act of terrorism and a war crime, which will be proved in an international court," the country's military intelligence said in a statement.
The president of the Council of the European Union, Charles Michel, blamed the attack on Russia, describing the destruction of civilian infrastructure as a "war crime". The secretary of National Security and Defense Council, Oleksii Danilovannounced on Tuesday that the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, will convene an emergency meeting in response to the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam.
"Russian terrorists. The destruction of the dam at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station only confirms for the whole world that they must be expelled from all corners of Ukrainian territory. Not a single meter should be left for them, because they use every meter for terror. It is only Ukraine's victory that will restore security. And that victory will come. Terrorists will not be able to stop Ukraine with water, missiles or anything else. All services are working. I have convened the National Council for Security and Defense. Disclose only official and verified information," said the Ukrainian president in a post on one of his social networks.
On the other hand, after Ukraine revealed that the dam had been bombed by Russia, the mayor of the city where the plant is located, who has ties to the Russian government, initially withstood an explosion and said that everything was "quiet and calm ". However, moments later, the mayor changed his version and admitted that the dam had been bombed. He described the incident as a "serious terrorist act" and blamed Ukraine. Russian news agencies allege that the dam was destroyed by a series of Ukrainian bombings.
A Russian-appointed local official claimed that only the upper part of the plant was destroyed during a bombing, but not the dam itself, and also blamed Ukraine for the attack.
Impact on the nuclear power plant
The New Kakhovka Dam plays a crucial role in providing a water cooling system for the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest atomic power plant in Europe, as well as for the Russian-controlled Crimea region. The United Nations (UN) nuclear watchdog has declared that there is no "immediate nuclear safety risk" at the Zaporizhzhia plant.
However, the State Atomic Energy Agency of Ukraine expressed concern that the dam explosion could pose a threat to the power plant, as water from the reservoir is essential for the safe operation of the dam. Despite this, the agency stated that the situation is currently under control. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has also issued a statement, confirming that it is aware of the damage done to the dam and that its experts are at the plant closely monitoring the situation.
