Putin: Kherson Dam attack was barbaric act

Russian President Putin called the Kakhovka dam collapse an "environmental and humanitarian disaster".

On June 7, Mr. Putin commented for the first time on the Kakhovka dam collapse in Kherson province during a phone call with his Turkish counterpart, Tayyip Erdogan. "The barbaric act has led to a large-scale humanitarian and environmental disaster," the Kremlin quoted President Putin as saying.

President Erdogan responded that it was important to thoroughly investigate the incident. He proposed setting up an investigation commission consisting of experts from the United Nations and the international community, including Türkiye.

Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, Moscow, June 1. Photo: AFP — Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, Moscow, June 1. Photo: *AFP*

On the same day, Mr. Erdogan also called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and made a similar proposal.

"Türkiye is ready to do everything in its power on this issue. It is possible to use the negotiation mechanism to resolve the issue, as it did with the grain corridor," the Turkish leader said.

The Kakhovka dam on the Dnieper River in the Russian-controlled Kherson region collapsed on June 6, releasing 18 billion cubic meters of water into towns and farmland downstream. Thousands of civilians were evacuated as many homes were submerged. Ukrainian officials fear the floodwaters could wash away mines and spread disease.

The reservoir of the Kakhovka Dam, part of the hydroelectric power plant of the same name, is responsible for providing cooling water for the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and the Crimean Canal. The Kakhovka Dam was built by the Soviet Union in 1950-1956, located next to the city of Nova Kakhovka and about 70 km from the city of Kherson.

Location of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam. Graphics: DW

The Ukrainian government has accused Russia of blowing up the Kakhovka Dam in an attempt to prevent it from launching a counteroffensive. Moscow, meanwhile, has said Kiev damaged the dam with artillery in an attempt to cut off water supplies to Crimea and distract from the faltering counteroffensive.

A Russian-appointed official in the city of Nova Kakhovka said on June 7 that floodwaters had begun to recede. Oleksiy Kuleba, deputy head of the Ukrainian president’s office, also expressed hope that the water level would not rise further by the end of the day.

Türkiye has remained neutral in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and has maintained good relations with both sides. Ankara has played a key mediating role, helping to reach a Black Sea grain deal and a prisoner exchange.