The destruction of Kakhovka dam is a “scorched earth” tactics. It’s genocide.
Today tens of thousands of people lost their homes, their land and were forced to flee. Thousands of animals, birds, fish and plants are dying. Russians are systematically destroying Ukraine.
Russians are systematically destroying Ukraine. Putin’s goal is to make Ukraine unsuitable for life so we become weak and are forced to stop fighting. That is why they wage a war against cities, villages, dams, people. Russia wages a war against life.
They go further and further in their crimes and feel their impunity. Russia must be stopped. It’s not a local issue. It’s a global threat.
``Flooding resulting from the destruction can lead to many deaths. A lot of people will lose their homes as settelements might be flooded. Mass evacuation has already started,`` Gerashchenko added.
He wrote that the dam supplies water to Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that was illegally annexed by Putin from Ukraine in 2014.
``It's an ecological catastrophe - tens of thousands tons of fish and unique biosphere will die. The nests of millions of birds in the wetlands along the left bank of the Dnieper river have been flooded.``
Russia blowing up Kakhovka NPP is an act of terrorism that will have long-lasting negative effects not just on Ukraine but the whole world.
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) June 6, 2023
The South of Ukraine is one of the main global agricultural areas. The destruction of the HPP will flood the lands, destroy the irrigation… pic.twitter.com/oQOv1SxM14
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DAM
- The dam had an associated lock and a hydro power station with an installed capacity of 357 MW. Including the long embankments on both sides of the central section, the dam is 3.2 km (2.0 mi) wide on the side facing the reservoir.
- Water from Kakhovka Reservoir supplies water for cooling the 5.7 GW Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and to irrigate areas of southern Ukraine and northern Crimea via the North Crimean Canal and Dnieper–Kryvyi Rih Canal.
- On 24 February 2022, the power plant was captured by Russian forces during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[1
- On June 6, 2023, a significant portion of the dam was destroyed by an explosion, with water flowing uncontrolled downstream.
- Zelensky announces that 150 tons of engine oil have polluted the Dnipro river due to Russia’s decision to destroy the Kakhovka dam.
- The U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said on Twitter it was closely monitoring the situation but that there was “no immediate nuclear safety risk at (the) plant” which is also in southern Ukraine.
- Ukraine’s state-owned energy company Ukrhydroenergo said in a statement on Tuesday that the Kakhovka HPP is “beyond repair.”
There used to be a zoo in temporarily occupied Nova Kakhovka. About 300 animals lived there.
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) June 6, 2023
This morning, it was flooded completely. Reportedly, all the animals except for swans and ducks died. Locals said that "authorities" did nothing to rescue the animals.
The video above… pic.twitter.com/d8bOObOzEJ
Rescuing a doggie in Kherson region. pic.twitter.com/rqCS8OJUtr
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) June 6, 2023
"London and Washington blew up the Kakhovka dam" - Russian propaganda.
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) June 6, 2023
Note the facial expression of Russian propagandist Skabeyeva. pic.twitter.com/IRn5ZZli9R
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has issued a defiant message after the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine was breached on Tuesday.
Russia has been controlling the dam and the entire Kakhovka HPP for more than a year.
It is physically impossible to blow it up somehow from the outside, by shelling. It was mined by the Russian occupiers. And they blew it up.
Russia has detonated a bomb of mass environmental destruction. This is the largest man-made environmental disaster in Europe in decades.
It is the most dangerous terrorist in the world. And that is why Russia’s defeat – a defeat that we’ll ensure anyway – will be the most significant contribution to the security of our region, our Europe and the entire world.
However, don’t we know what constantly fuels Russian revanchism? This is the belief of Russia’s rulers that Europe will allegedly show weakness. Weakness is the main hope and bet of terrorists.
No more weakness in Europe against the evil of aggression! No more uncertainty about security prospects in Europe! Every step, decision and summit of ours must strengthen us all in our defense against Russian terror. No doubt, the Vilnius #NATOSummit must ensure this. I said this addressing the Bucharest Nine Summit.
