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Destruction of the Kakhovka Dam

Coordinates: 46°46′40″N 33°22′13″E / 46.77778°N 33.37028°E / 46.77778; 33.37028
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2023 Kakhovka Dam failure
Part of the 2022–2023 Dnieper campaign of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
The Kakhovka Dam in 2006
LocationDam of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant, Nova Kakhovka, Kherson Oblast, Ukraine
Coordinates46°46′40″N 33°22′13″E / 46.77778°N 33.37028°E / 46.77778; 33.37028
Date6 June 2023
Attack type
Dam failure
WeaponsUnknown
PerpetratorsDisputed:
  •  Russia (per Ukrainian sources, denied by Russia)
  •  Ukraine (per Russian sources, denied by Ukraine)

On 6 June 2023, the Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine failed, causing extensive flooding. The dam was located on the Dnieper River in Kherson Oblast. The Russian military had seized control of the dam in February 2022, in the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and controlled the dam at the time of its destruction. Russian and Ukrainian authorities blamed each other for the destruction.

Water levels in the Kakhovka Reservoir had been rising for months and were at an all-time high when the dam failed.

Thousands of residents were evacuated downstream, as floods submerged several villages in Ukrainian- and Russian-controlled areas. The loss of water in the Kakhovka Reservoir threatens the water supply to Russian-occupied Crimea and the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

Background

The dam was built in 1956.[1] Russian forces seized the dam in February 2022, during the early days of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[1]

In late 2022, with the Kherson counteroffensive approaching the Dnieper, Ukraine accused Russia of planning to breach the dam using explosives in retaliation.[2] During the counteroffensive, the Ukrainian forces conducted a successful test strike on one of the floodgates at the Nova Kakhovka dam using a HIMARS launcher.[3]

When Russian forces retreated from Kherson in November 2022 they destroyed the bridge deck, damaging some of the sluice gates.[4] Then the Russians intentionally opened additional sluice gates, allowing water to rush out of the reservoir. At that time the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration in a statement suggested that one of the purposes of draining the reservoir might have been to flood the area south of the dam, in order to keep Ukrainian Forces from crossing the Dnieper River. Officials stated that Ukrhydroenergo, Ukraine's hydro electric company, believed Russian occupiers "opened the station's locks fearing an advance of Ukrainian soldiers."[5]

In the following months of Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure, several dams were struck and left large portion of residents without access to water. Examples include the Russian missile attack on the Kryvyi Rih dam and the destruction of the Oskil river dam by Russian land forces.[6][7] In October 2022, the Foreign Minister of Moldova, Nicu Popescu, claimed Ukraine had intercepted Russian missiles that were targeting the dam on the Dniester river.[8]

Article 56 of Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions prohibits the deliberate destruction of "installations containing dangerous forces" such as dams.[9]

Destruction

At 02:50 local time on the morning of 6 June 2023, an "internal explosion of the structures" of the dam occurred, according to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.[10] The dam was effectively destroyed, leading to widespread flooding downstream. At the time of its destruction, the dam was under Russian control, and the water level had risen to a 30-year high.[11]

Satellite imagery obtained by BBC News indicated that the condition of the dam had been deteriorating since 1 June or earlier, with the road across the dam suffering some damage on 2 June.[12]

Attribution

Attribution for the destruction of the dam was disputed.[13][14][15] According to Reuters, neither side provided immediate public evidence to support their accusations.[16]

Claims of Russian responsibility

Ukrainian authorities said that Russian forces destroyed the dam.[13][14] Ukraine's state hydropower agency, Ukrhydroenergo, stated that the dam was "totally destroyed" after a blast from inside the engine room and could not be restored. Ukrainian officials said Russia destroyed the dam "in a panic" to slow down Ukraine's planned counteroffensive.[17]

Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba criticised the international media for presenting the Ukrainian and Russian attributions as equally credible, arguing that this was "put[ting] facts and propaganda on [an] equal footing."[18]

Claims of Ukrainian responsibility

The Russian-installed mayor of Nova Kakhovka initially said the dam was not damaged but later accused Ukraine.[15] Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin's press secretary, denied accusations of Russian involvement in the destruction of the dam and called it Ukrainian sabotage.[19] Russian state media attributed the destruction to artillery fire from a Vilkha multiple rocket launcher.[20]

Impacts

Map showing the path of water flowing in the Dnieper River downstream of the Nova Kakhovka dam in Ukraine.
Main flow path on the Dnieper River downstream of the Nova Kakhovka dam.

Flooding and evacuations

The National Police of Ukraine ordered an evacuation in the the Ukrainian controlled western bank of the Dnieper, including Mykolaivka [uk], Olhivka [uk], Lvove [uk], Tiahynka, Poniativka [uk], Ivanivka [uk], Tokarivka [uk], Prydniprovske and the Sadove and Korabel Island districts of Kherson city.[21][22][17] The governor of Kherson Oblast, Oleksandr Prokudin, told Ukrainian TV on the morning of 6 June that eight villages had been flooded, and that evacuations by bus and train were ongoing for 16,000 residents in the affected areas.[12]

In Russian controlled Nova Kakhovka by the eastern end of the dam, 22,000 people live in flood risk areas, and 600 houses were reported to have been flooded. A state of emergency on the left bank of the river was declared by Russian authorities.[23][24]

Animals and environment

Numbers of wildlife habitat are flooded, zoo animals drowned and dogs have also lost its home in the disaster[25][26][27].

Counteroffensive

Further information: 2022–2023 Dnieper campaign

The flooding may hinder planned Ukrainian operations in the area and crossing to the left bank of the Dnieper River.[28] According to some western military experts, Russia benefits militarily from the flooding.[29]

Water supply

Water from the dam reservoir supplies Southern Ukraine and the Crimean peninsula downstream and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Russian state media reported that Russian-installed mayor of Nova Kakhovka said that there will be "problems" with water supplies coming from the North Crimean Canal to Crimea due to the destruction of the dam.[13] A water level of 13.2 m (43 ft) is the minimum necessary for taking water into the cooling tank of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.[5][30] "Our current assessment is that there is no immediate risk to the safety of the plant," International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said.[31]

Reactions

Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, "The destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam by Russian terrorists only confirms for the whole world that they must be expelled from every corner of Ukrainian land."[32] Andriy Yermak, the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, called the destruction of the dam "ecocide".[21] The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "We call on the international community to resolutely condemn the Russian terrorist attack on the Kakhovka HPP (Hydroelectric Power Plant)", calling for a UNSC session and a meeting with the IAEA.[33] Ukraine's Prosecutor General said it was investigating the destruction as a war crime.[9]

International community

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called the event "outrageous" and said it showed "the brutality of Russia's war in Ukraine".[34] European Council President Charles Michel called the blowing up of a hydroelectric power plant a war crime on the part of Russia.[35] The Council of Europe stated: "We condemn in the strongest terms the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in the Kherson region of Ukraine".[36] British Foreign Secretary James Cleverley, who was in Ukraine at the time, said that "the only reason this is a problem at all is because of Russia's unprovoked full-scale invasion."[citation needed] António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, said that the collapse was "another devastating consequence of the Russian invasion of Ukraine", and stated that: "Attacks against civilians and critical civilian infrastructure must stop."[37]

References

  1. ^ a b Pamela Constable, Dam destruction a threat to Ukrainian counteroffensive, water supplies, Washington Post (June 6, 2023).
  2. ^ "Ukraine's Zelenskyy accuses Russia of planning to destroy dam". Al Jazeera. 21 October 2022. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Inside the Ukrainian counteroffensive that shocked Putin and reshaped the war". Washington Post. 29 December 2022. Archived from the original on 8 January 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  4. ^ "Damage to Russian-occupied dam submerges Ukrainian reservoir island community". AP NEWS. 25 May 2023. Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Russia is draining a massive Ukrainian reservoir, endangering a nuclear plant". NPR. 10 February 2023. Archived from the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  6. ^ Sakhno, S.I.; Lyulchenko, Ye.V.; Bilashenko, K.S.; Domnichev, A.O. (2020). "Investigation of the applicability of nonlinear mathematical models of concrete strength for modeling the destruction of concrete prisms". Mining Journal of Kryvyi Rih National University (107): 68–73. doi:10.31721/2306-5435-2020-1-107-68-73. ISSN 2306-5435.
  7. ^ "The war put the water reservoir of the Kharkiv region on the verge of ecological disaster". ЭкоПолитика. 16 November 2022. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  8. ^ Tanas, Alexander (31 October 2022). "Debris of Russian missile downed by Ukraine lands in Moldovan village". Reuters. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  9. ^ a b Berg, Stephanie van den; Deutsch, Anthony (6 June 2023). "Explainer: Ukraine dam: When do attacks on civilian installations amount to war crimes?". Reuters. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  10. ^ "Explainer: What the Kakhovka Dam Catastrophe Means For the Ukraine-Russia War". The Moscow Times. 6 June 2023. ISSN 1563-6275. Wikidata Q119141426. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023.
  11. ^ "Thousands flee homes as collapse of dam is blamed on Russian forces". The Guardian. 6 June 2023. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  12. ^ a b "What we know about Nova Kakhovka dam attack". BBC News. 6 June 2023. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  13. ^ a b c "Russia-Ukraine war live: evacuations under way near Kherson after Kyiv accuses Moscow of destroying dam". The Guardian. 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023. The Russian-imposed mayor of the occupied settlement of Nova Kakhovk near the damaged dam [Vladimir Leontyev] ... said that there was no explosion at the station, but night strikes led to the destruction and water began to uncontrollably be discharged downstream. According to him, the armed forces of Ukraine continue to shell the city. The blow to the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station, presumably, was delivered from an MLRS. Leontyev said that it is still impossible to predict whether the Kakhovskaya HPP will continue to collapse. According to him, the hydroelectric power plant has suffered serious damage and it is presumably impossible to repair it. As the mayor added, the destruction at the station will lead to problems in the delivery of water to the Crimea.
  14. ^ a b "Ukraine says Russian forces blew up Nova Kakhovka dam in Kherson". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  15. ^ a b "Collapse of critical Ukrainian dam sparks region-wide evacuations. Here's what we know". CNN. 6 June 2023. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  16. ^ "Villagers flee floods as huge Kakhovka dam destroyed in Ukraine war zone". Reuters. 6 June 2023. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  17. ^ a b "Evacuations begin after a major dam in southern Ukraine is heavily damaged". NPR. 6 June 2023.
  18. ^ Kate Tsurkan (6 June 2023). "Kuleba criticizes international media for entertaining Russian propaganda about Kakhovka dam explosion". The Kyiv Independent. Wikidata Q119140906. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023.
  19. ^ "«Это преднамеренная диверсия украинской стороны». Кремль — о прорыве плотины на Каховской ГЭС". Meduza (in Russian). Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  20. ^ "Главное: подрыв дамбы Каховской ГЭС в Херсонской области. Что уже затоплено, как это могло произойти и какие будут последствия". Настоящее Время (in Russian). 6 June 2023. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  21. ^ a b Sullivan, Helen (6 June 2023). "Russia-Ukraine war live: dam near Kherson destroyed by Russian forces, says Ukraine, sparking evacuations". the Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  22. ^ Regan, Jonny Hallam,Josh Pennington,Helen (6 June 2023). "Critical Ukrainian dam near Kherson destroyed sparking region-wide evacuations". CNN. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  23. ^ Adler, Nils (6 June 2023). "Russia-Ukraine live news: Moscow accused of blowing up dam / State of emergency declared in Nova Kakhovka district: TASS". Aljazeera. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  24. ^ Blann, Susie (6 June 2023). "Collapse of major dam in southern Ukraine triggers emergency as Moscow and Kyiv blame each other". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  25. ^ https://metro.co.uk/2023/06/06/zoo-animals-drown-in-flood-water-after-ukrainian-dam-is-destroyed-18902672/
  26. ^ https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-kakhovka-dam-flood-evacuation-eecc9952c2d9f500c38b0a873f69438c
  27. ^ https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-06-06/ukraine-accuses-russia-destroying-major-dam-warns-disaster
  28. ^ Barnes, Joe (6 June 2023). "Ukrainian dam destroyed in blow to counter-offensive". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  29. ^ Miller, Christopher; Seddon, Max (6 June 2023). "Military briefing: Russia has most to gain from Ukrainian dam breach". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  30. ^ "🇺🇦 Юрій Малашко /Запорізька обласна військова адміністрація 🇺🇦". Telegram (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  31. ^ "Factbox-What Is the Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine - and What Happened?". US News & World Report. 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  32. ^ "The invaders blew up the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant". Mil.in.ua. 6 June 2023.
  33. ^ "Ukraine calls for UN Security Council meeting and new sanctions against Russia after dam disaster". CNN. 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  34. ^ "Jens Stoltenberg". Twitter (in Russian). Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  35. ^ "Charles Michel". Twitter (in Russian). Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  36. ^ https://www.coe.int/it/web/portal/-/destruction-of-the-nova-kakhovka-dam-in-the-kherson-region-of-ukraine-statement-by-council-of-europe-leaders
  37. ^ "Dam break is "another devastating consequence" of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, UN secretary general says". CNN. 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
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