Families scramble for food and dry places to sleep after a dam collapses in Russian-occupied Ukraine

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In the wake of a devastating dam collapse in Russian-occupied Ukraine, families are left grappling for basic necessities such as food and a safe place to sleep. Alyona Shkrygalova and her family, residing along the expansive Dnieper River, had a rubber boat that served their daily needs. However, their lives took a drastic turn on Tuesday when the Kakhovka dam ruptured, unleashing a flood from Ukraine’s largest reservoir into the downstream cities, towns, and countryside. This region has already suffered immensely since Russia invaded the country the previous year.

The floodwaters surged, reaching waist-high on the second floor of Shkrygalova’s two-storey house. In order to survive in this war-torn zone, her family resorted to using their boat to search for food and find houses situated on higher ground where they could sleep in dry conditions. Their desperate situation led Shkrygalova, aged 60, to catch sight of a group of people in a boat. She raised yellow, white, and pink fabrics to catch their attention, all while anxiously trying to discern if they were Russians or not.

Fortunately for her and her family, the people in the boat turned out to be Ukrainian. However, reports from those stranded and Ukrainian rescuers indicate that Russian forces are commandeering the rescue boats. Some claim that the soldiers only assist individuals holding Russian passports.

Yaroslav Vasiliev, a volunteer, expressed, “Russian soldiers are stationed at checkpoints, preventing rescuers from accessing the most affected areas and seizing the boats. They are suspicious of everyone, fearing sabotage.”

There are accounts of people being turned away from rescue operations. Viktoria Mironova-Baka, who is in touch with her stranded relatives in the flooded region from Germany, revealed that Russian soldiers arrived at their house by boat but stated that they would only evacuate those with Russian passports. Her grandmother, aunt, and several others are currently seeking refuge in the attic of a two-story house.

Given the obscured details of life in Russian-occupied Ukraine, the reports of boat seizures and the selective evacuation of Russians align with independent Russian media’s coverage. This stands in stark contrast to the Ukrainian-controlled territory affected by the dam collapse. Authorities there have been proactive in evacuating civilians and providing emergency supplies. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the area on Thursday to assess the extent of the damage. In contrast, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov informed journalists that Russian President Vladimir Putin currently has no plans to visit the affected areas under Moscow’s control.

The recent disaster originated on Tuesday when the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam, located approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) upstream from Oleshky, collapsed. The ensuing torrent of water engulfed the Dnieper River and surged across the war’s front lines. The town of Oleshky, situated across the river from Kherson, had a prewar population of 24,000.

Officials state that over 6,000 people have been evacuated from numerous flooded cities, towns, and villages on both sides of the river. However, the true extent of the disaster remains unclear for a region that was once home to tens of thousands of people.

Although officials on both sides suggest that approximately 20 deaths have occurred, these figures have not been independently verified. Yevhen Ryshchuk, the mayor of Oleshky, claims that corpses are resurfacing in the flooded area.

Many survivors are now homeless, and tens of thousands lack access to clean drinking water. The floods have decimated crops, displaced landmines, caused extensive environmental damage, and triggered long-term electricity shortages.

While Ukraine accuses Russia of destroying the dam with explosives, Russia blames Ukraine for launching a missile strike.

An AP drone surveying the wreckage of the dam on Wednesday revealed no signs of scorch marks or shrapnel scars typically associated with bombardment. The majority of the dam is now submerged, and the limited snapshot provided by AP images makes it challenging to rule out any scenario. Negligence by the Russian authorities and weeks of water overflowing the dam had weakened its structure. Since the invasion in February 2022, the dam had been under Russian control.

To compound the tragedy, Russia has been shelling the areas affected by the flooding, including the front-line city of Kherson. On Thursday, Russian shelling was heard near a square in Kherson where emergency crews and volunteers were distributing aid. Some evacuation points in the city were hit, resulting in injuries to nine individuals, according to Ukrainian officials.

Russia claims that the Ukrainians have also been shelling the flood-affected areas under Russian control. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commended the “selfless work” of Russian emergency teams assisting flood victims, highlighting their perseverance despite continuous Ukrainian shelling. Peskov mentioned that people affected by the flooding had been killed by the shelling, including a pregnant woman.

The floodwaters have irreversibly altered the landscape downstream and have shifted the dynamics of the 15-month-long war. While water levels in Oleshky began receding on Thursday afternoon, approximately 90% of the city remains submerged, as reported by Mayor Ryshchuk.

Russian-appointed regional Governor Vladimir Saldo insists that Russia is providing assistance to the region’s civilians. He shared a video showcasing vacant beds prepared in shelters for evacuees, claiming that over 4,000 people had been evacuated from the flood-affected zones. However, Mayor Ryshchuk dismisses such claims, stating that some individuals attempting to leave flooded areas were forced back by Russian soldiers who accused them of being “waiters” waiting for Ukraine to regain control of the region. Others who contacted Russian-controlled emergency services were informed that they would have to wait for assistance.

The aid that managed to reach the affected areas remains sporadic. Ukrainian military footage captured the moment when their forces dropped a bottle of water from a drone to a boy trapped in the attic of his home near Oleshky, along with his mother and sister. Subsequently, Ukrainian soldiers evacuated the family, along with their pets, to the city of Kherson, according to the National Police.

Volunteers, communicating through encrypted app Telegram, are playing a crucial role in organizing much of the assistance efforts. Messages seeking help for stranded individuals, often trapped on rooftops, appear in these groups every few minutes. Most of these pleas are posted by relatives residing in safer areas.

One woman assisting in one of these volunteer groups shared a message with an AP journalist. The message read, “We were searching for a person named Serhii Borzov. Unfortunately, he was found dead. Our heartfelt condolences to the relatives.”

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Reporting by Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn, Estonia, and Nataliya Vasilyeva in Warsaw, Poland.

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For more updates on the war in Ukraine, follow AP’s coverage: https://bigbignews.net/russia-ukraine

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• AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine: Stay updated with AP’s comprehensive coverage of the war in Ukraine, including the recent dam collapse and its aftermath.
• Dnieper River: Learn more about the Dnieper River, the largest river in Ukraine, which has been heavily affected by the dam collapse and subsequent flooding.
• Ukraine-Russia Conflict: Get an overview of the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, which provides context to the situation in Russian-occupied Ukraine and the challenges faced by the affected communities.
• Kakhovka Dam: Explore information about the Kakhovka Dam and its significance as Ukraine’s largest reservoir, which suffered a catastrophic collapse leading to the current crisis.
• Humanitarian Aid Organizations: Find a list of reputable humanitarian aid organizations that are actively involved in providing assistance and support to regions affected by natural disasters and conflicts like the dam collapse in Ukraine.