The Kakhovka hydroelectric dam in the Ukrainian region of Kherson (south) occupied by Russian forces was “damaged” following a Ukrainian strike on Sunday, regional emergency services told Russian news agencies. “Today at 10:00 a.m. (0800 GMT), six Himars missiles were launched. Air defense units shot down five of them, one of which hit the sluice at the Kakhovka dam, which was damaged,” a representative said. emergency services, cited by Russian agencies.
kyiv accused Moscow two weeks ago of having “undermined the dam”, “lies” according to the Russian occupation authorities. The Kakhovka dam, taken at the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, notably makes it possible to supply water to the Crimean peninsula, annexed in 2014 by Moscow.
80 localities in danger
Laid out on the Dnieper River in 1956, during the Soviet period, the work is built partly of concrete and earth. It is one of the largest infrastructures of this type in Ukraine. For several days, the Russian occupation authorities have been carrying out “evacuations” of civilians in the villages around the site in the face of a “possible missile attack” on the Kakhovka dam, the destruction of which would lead to “the flooding of the left bank”. of the Dnieper River, according to the regional governor installed by Moscow in Kherson, Vladimir Saldo.
If the dam explodes, “more than 80 localities, including Kherson, will find themselves in the rapid flood zone”, was, for his part, alarmed on October 21 Mr. Zelensky before the Council of the European Union. “It could destroy the water supply of a large part of southern Ukraine” and affect the cooling of the reactors of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, which draws its water from this artificial lake of 18 million cubic meters, had he warned. Ukraine had requested an international observation mission.
Kakhovka is about 60 km east as the crow flies of Kherson, the first major city to fall into Russian hands in March.