Ukraine releases evidence accusing Russia of destroying Kherson dam

Ukraine's Security Service says it has intercepted a call proving a Russian "sabotage group" destroyed the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) posted on Telegram on June 9 a one-and-a-half minute audio clip, saying it was a conversation between Russian soldiers about the Kakhovka dam collapse in Kherson province.

"They (Ukraine) did not attack it (Kakhovka Dam). It was our sabotage group that did it. We wanted to attack to intimidate them but it did not go as planned. It caused more damage than they expected," a man said in the call.

The other man expressed surprise at the information the other gave.

An area in Nova Kakhovka city is flooded on June 7 after the Kakhovka dam broke. Photo: Reuters — An area in Nova Kakhovka city is flooded on June 7 after the Kakhovka dam broke. Photo: *Reuters*

The SBU did not provide further details about the phone call or specifically identify the two men. It said it had opened an investigation into “war crimes” and “ecological destruction” over the Kakhovka dam collapse.

"The attackers wanted to blackmail Ukraine by blowing up the dam and creating a disaster in the south," the SBU statement said.

Russia has not responded to the information, but has repeatedly accused Ukraine of destroying the Kakhovka Dam. Russian President Putin called the Kakhovka Dam collapse a barbaric act that caused an environmental and humanitarian disaster. Moscow also called for an international investigation into the dam collapse.

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.

Kakhovka Lake has a capacity of about 18 billion m3 and provides cooling water for the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and the Crimean Canal. The Kakhovka Dam was built by the Soviet Union in 1950-1956.