According to the Russian news agency "TASS," citing an unnamed informed source, the massive Nova Kakhovka Dam, located in the parts of the Kherson region controlled by Russia in southern Ukraine, has been destroyed and the area is flooded. The agency reported that the source stated, "The night was calm, and there were no airstrikes on the dam overnight." The Russian news agency quoted the Moscow-appointed mayor of Nova Kakhovka as saying, "The upper part of the dam was destroyed due to shelling." He added that "there is no imminent danger to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant as a result of the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka Dam."
In contrast, the southern command of the Ukrainian armed forces stated today that "Russian forces blew up the Nova Kakhovka Dam located in the parts of the Kherson region controlled by Russia." The command indicated on their "Facebook" page that "the extent of the damage is being assessed, along with the speed and volume of water and the areas likely to be flooded." The Ukrainian presidency described the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka Dam as a "war crime." Oleksii Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, stated on "Twitter" today that President Volodymyr Zelensky will hold an emergency meeting regarding the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka Dam in the south of the country. The Ukrainian presidency asserted that "Russia targeted the Nova Kakhovka Dam to slow our offensive operations." President Zelensky emphasized that "the targeting of the Nova Kakhovka Dam confirms the necessity of expelling Russian forces from all Ukrainian territories," adding: "Russia will not be able to stop Ukraine, whether by cutting off water, missiles, or anything else."
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss what it termed a "Russian terrorist attack" on the Nova Kakhovka Dam in southern Ukraine. The ministry also called for the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency to discuss the incident and demanded new international sanctions against Russia, particularly concerning its missile industry and nuclear sector. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister stated that the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka Dam is the largest technological disaster in Europe in decades, adding that the demolition of the dam is a "heinous war crime" that endangers thousands of civilians. The Ukrainian Prime Minister stated that Russia is fully responsible for the explosion of the Nova Kakhovka Dam, indicating that the targeting of the dam was a terrorist act by Russia, and the flooding threatens 80 neighborhoods with submersion after the dam's explosion. An advisor to the Ukrainian presidency warned that the risk of a "nuclear catastrophe" at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is "increasing rapidly." Mykhailo Podolyak stated in a message to reporters, "The world is on the verge of witnessing another nuclear catastrophe, as the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has lost its cooling source. This danger is now increasing rapidly."
Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency announced that there are currently no risks to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine following the targeting of the Nova Kakhovka Dam. The agency stated on Twitter that it is aware of the reports regarding damage to the Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine, confirming that the agency's experts in Zaporizhzhia are closely monitoring the situation. In this context, the governor of the Kherson region of Ukraine, Oleksandr Prokudin, announced the commencement of evacuation operations in areas near the Kakhovka area in the south of the country. He said: "Within 5 hours, water levels will reach critical levels." TASS reported from emergency services that "approximately 80 residential areas could be affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam."
U.S. officials expressed that the "United States is extremely concerned after the explosion of the dam controlled by Russia in Ukraine, and is trying to determine more about the potential impacts of this incident."
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov indicated that "Ukraine destroyed the Kakhovka Dam to divert attention from its faltering counteroffensive," denying Ukraine's claims that Moscow was responsible for the dam's explosion.
UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly considered it too early to make a specific assessment regarding the details of the explosion of the dam in southern Ukraine, but stressed that the cause of the incident is solely the Russian invasion. He said: "We will continue to assess the developments, but the best thing Russia can do right now is withdraw its forces immediately."
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated on Tuesday that "the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka Dam in southern Ukraine demonstrates the brutality of the Russian war in the country." He tweeted: "The destruction of the Kakhovka Dam today puts thousands of civilians at risk and causes severe environmental damage, deeming it an outrageous act that once again shows the brutality of #Russia’s war in #Ukraine."
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that "Germany is closely monitoring the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, especially after the explosion of the Nova Kakhovka Dam that supplies water to the plant." He continued: "What we can say regarding the Zaporizhzhia plant is that we are monitoring the situation there around the clock."
