Russia urgently overcomes the consequences of the Kakhovka dam collapse

SGGP 06/12/2023 08:16

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has signed a decree to establish a government commission to deal with the consequences of flooding in Kherson Oblast, following the Kakhovka Dam collapse. In addition to urgently dealing with the consequences of the dam collapse, Russia is facing counterattacks by the Western-backed Ukrainian army in eastern and southern Ukraine.

Russian Emergencies Ministry staff rescue flood victims in Kherson. Photo: SPUTNIK

Heavy damage

The Russian cabinet's website said the committee is headed by Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin. It also includes Minister of State for Civil Defense, Emergencies and Disaster Relief Alexander Kurenkov, Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology Alexander Kozlov, Acting Governor of Kherson Region Vladimir Saldo... and representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Transport.

According to TASS, as of June 11, employees of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations have delivered 75 tons of food and 30 tons of bottled water to the flooded areas in the Kherson region. About 49,000 cubic meters of water have been pumped out of the Novaya Kakhovka area, the hardest hit area. According to the ministry, since the rescue operation began, more than 6,000 people have been evacuated, including 235 children and 81 people with limited mobility. The destruction of the dam has caused serious environmental damage, washed away agricultural land along the Dnieper River and increased the risk of the North Crimean Canal drying up. Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of deliberately destroying the dam.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said it was rapidly delivering medical supplies to flooded areas in Kherson province and was ready to respond to a range of health risks including drowning, water-borne diseases such as cholera and psychological trauma. In a post on its Telegram channel, the head of the Russian-controlled Kherson region, Andrey Alekseenko, said that according to preliminary estimates, the damage from the Kakhovka dam collapse amounted to 11.5 billion rubles (about $138 million) and that the figure would increase several times.

Struggle in Eastern and Southern Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted on June 11 that the military had been engaged in “counter-offensive and defensive operations”. According to Reuters, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Ukrainian forces had made “unsuccessful” counter-offensive attempts in the southern regions of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia in the past 24 hours, two areas where heavy fighting has been taking place. The British Ministry of Defense said that Ukraine had carried out “significant” operations in some areas of the east and south in the past 48 hours and that in some areas Ukrainian forces may have made good progress and penetrated Russia’s first line of defense. Ukraine’s counter-offensive has involved thousands of troops trained and equipped by the West, but Russia has built huge fortifications in eastern and southern Ukraine to counter it, while Kiev also lacks air superiority.

Earlier, according to TASS, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Ukrainian counteroffensive had begun. The Russian president noted that particularly fierce fighting had taken place over the past five days, with the Russian army trying to hold its positions, and that the Ukrainian army had suffered much heavier casualties. The Russian leader also admitted that Moscow's military was facing a shortage of modern weapons, and expressed hope that the country's military industry would soon meet the growing demand.

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