Ukraine says Russian soldiers opened fire on rescuers in Kherson

President Zelensky accused Russian troops of opening fire on Ukrainian rescuers trying to reach flooded areas in Kherson after a dam burst.

"It is very difficult to get people out of the Russian-controlled area in Kherson. When our rescuers tried to get residents out, they were shot at from a distance by Russian soldiers," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 7.

He said the flooding caused by the Kakhovka dam collapse had had serious consequences in Kherson province, killing many civilians. "Bodies of drowned people were floating on the roofs of flooded houses. You could see it from the other side," the Ukrainian president said.

People travel by boat through a flooded street in Kherson on June 7. Photo: AFP — People travel by boat through a flooded street in Kherson on June 7. Photo: *AFP*

Roman Skabdrakov, a member of the Kaiman Volunteer Group, which is taking part in rescue operations in Kherson, said they were facing shelling from the Russian side. "The situation is extremely dangerous," Skabdrakov said.

President Zelensky today visited flooded areas in Kherson after a dam burst, while evacuations continue.

Meanwhile, Russian officials accused Ukrainian forces of shelling a civilian evacuation point from the flooded Kherson region, killing two people and injuring two.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kakhovka dam attack was an "act of sabotage" by Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin "has no plans to visit Kherson," Peskov said.

The Kakhovka hydroelectric dam on the Dnieper River, in the Russian-controlled part of Kherson province, collapsed on June 6, causing water in the reservoir to overflow downstream, submerging many residential areas, villages and some urban areas along the river.

Local officials said 68% of the flooded area was on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River, which is controlled by Russia, and 32% on the western bank. Ukraine's national emergency service evacuated 1,995 people, including 103 children, from the danger zone, where more than 2,600 homes were flooded.

Evacuation scene of Kherson residents — Kherson residents evacuated from flooded areas on June 7. Video : *AFP*

The dam collapse forced more than 1,800 people to flee their homes, submerged thousands of hectares of farmland , threatened water supplies, and prompted officials and experts to warn of catastrophic environmental damage.

Kiev and Moscow have accused each other of destroying the dam without providing specific evidence. It is unclear whether the dam was attacked deliberately or due to structural failure.

Thanh Tam (According to CNN, AFP )

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