The Kremlin said Ukraine deliberately sabotaged the Kakhovka dam in Kherson to distract attention, denying accusations that Russia was behind the incident.
"We can confirm that this was a deliberate act of sabotage on the part of Ukraine," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a press conference today, referring to the Kakhovka dam collapse in Kherson province. "And one of their goals was to deprive the Crimean peninsula of water."
According to Mr. Peskov, Ukraine also wants to distract attention from the major counter-offensive campaign that Kiev announced it was preparing to carry out, but is faltering.
Asked about Ukraine's accusation that Russia had destroyed the Kakhovka dam, Peskov said Moscow "categorically denies this". He warned that "the deliberate sabotage by the Ukrainian side has extremely serious consequences for tens of thousands of people in the region".
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in Moscow in December 2021. Photo: AFP
The Kakhovka Dam on the Dnieper River, in the Russian-controlled part of Kherson Oblast, was partially destroyed after an explosion on June 6. Russia and Ukraine both said it was a deliberate attack and blamed each other.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called an emergency meeting of the National Security Council. Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of blowing up the Kakhovka dam to prevent Ukrainian forces from crossing the Dnieper River, ahead of a counter-offensive.
The European Union, NATO and Britain have all criticized Russia, saying Moscow must be held responsible for the incident.
Image of what is believed to be the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam breaking on the morning of June 6. Video: Telegram/RVvoenkor
The Kakhovka Dam, located about 70 km northeast of the Ukrainian-controlled city of Kherson, is responsible for storing water from the Dnieper River, serving the hydroelectric power plant of the same name, as well as agricultural irrigation and river navigation in Kherson Oblast.
Since the outbreak of war, Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly accused each other of plotting to destroy the dam, which was built during the Soviet era.
The Kakhovka reservoir, with a capacity of about 18 billion cubic metres, supplies cooling water to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and the Crimean Canal. Ukrainian and Russian-appointed officials in Kherson both said water levels downstream had risen, causing some areas to be flooded.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that there is "no immediate safety risk" to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and that its experts "are closely monitoring the situation".
Crimean Governor Sergei Aksyonov said the peninsula was not currently facing any threat to water supplies or flooding following the dam collapse, adding that reservoirs were 80% full and the North Crimean Canal had about 40 million cubic metres of water. The peninsula’s authorities were taking steps to reduce the amount of water escaping from the canal.
Location of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam. Graphics: DW
Nhu Tam (According to Reuters, AFP )
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