Collapse of major dam in southern Ukraine triggers emergency as Moscow and Kyiv blame each other

On Tuesday, a major dam in the southern region of Ukraine, under Moscow’s control, catastrophically failed, leading to serious flooding. This incident risks impacting Europe’s largest nuclear power plant and jeopardizing the region’s drinking water supplies. As both sides in the conflict hasten to evacuate residents, each accuses the other of causing the crisis.

Ukrainian authorities allege that Russian forces intentionally detonated the Kakhovka dam and its associated hydroelectric power station on the Dnieper River. Russian officials, conversely, assert that Ukrainian military strikes in the disputed area are to blame. Verification of these claims is currently unfeasible.

The rapid environmental and societal ramifications of the disaster became evident as flooding impacted homes, streets, and businesses downstream. Emergency teams initiated evacuations, officials inspected the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant’s cooling systems, and concerns grew regarding the availability of drinking water in southern Crimea, a region Russia unlawfully annexed in 2014.

The dam’s failure introduces a new, shocking aspect to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, currently in its 16th month. Ukrainian forces are believed to be advancing with an eagerly awaited counteroffensive across an expansive frontline in eastern and southern Ukraine.

It remains uncertain who gains from the dam’s destruction, as both Russian and Ukrainian territories face potential flooding. The devastation could also obstruct Ukraine’s southern counteroffensive and divert its government’s attention. However, Russia also relies on the dam to provide water to Crimea.

Patricia Lewis, director of the International Security Program at the Chatham House think tank in London, stated that attributing blame is challenging but noted potential reasons for Russia to instigate such an event.

Previous reports suggested the Russians might have planted mines in the reservoir, while experts also pointed out the dam was in disrepair. David Helms, a retired American scientist monitoring the reservoir since the war’s onset, mentioned that it was unclear whether the damage resulted from a deliberate act or simple neglect by Russian forces occupying the dam.

With the increasing tension, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy convened an urgent meeting of the National Security Council. He accused Russian forces of detonating a blast inside the dam structure, putting approximately 80 settlements at risk.

Contrarily, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denounced the event as “a deliberate act of sabotage by the Ukrainian side … aimed at cutting water supplies to Crimea.”

Both sides are sounding the alarm over an impending environmental disaster. The Ukrainian Presidential Office stated that about 150 metric tons of oil had leaked from the dam machinery, with another 300 metric tons potentially still at risk.

The damage to the dam may pose negative consequences for the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest, according to Ukraine’s nuclear operator Energoatom. Still, the situation is currently under control.

However, Ukrainian authorities previously warned that a total failure of the dam could release 18 million cubic meters (4.8 billion gallons) of water, potentially flooding Kherson and dozens of other areas where hundreds of thousands reside.

The disaster has sparked international outrage, including from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who characterized the act as a brutal manifestation of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Ukraine controls five of the six dams along the Dnieper, a river that is critical for the country’s drinking water and power supply, running from its northern border with Belarus to the Black Sea. However, the state hydro power generating company Ukrhydroenergo stated that the damaged station is beyond repair.

In the past, Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of targeting the dam, with Ukrainian President Zelens

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