Ukraine blames ‘terrorist’ Russia for Kakhovka dam attack – live updates

A video has gone viral of entire houses floating along the Dnipro River, having been washed away in flooding.

The clip has been verified by the BBC.

Mykhailo Podolyak, a chief advisor to President Zelenksy, has warned of a “global ecological disaster” that will impact worldwide food security after a major dam in Southern Ukraine was destroyed on Tuesday morning unleashing the waters of one of Europe’s largest reservoirs over dozens of towns and villages.

Ukraine has accused Russia of blowing up the dam – an action it says amounts to a war crime and will endanger thousands of lives. The Kremlin has vehemently denied the accusations blaming Kyiv for targeting its own infrastructure to distract from what it has claimed is “a failing counteroffensive”.

Mr Podolyak told The Independent that millions of cubic metres of water which had already partially submerged several areas and killed thousands of animals would in a few days reach as far as Mykolaiv a region some 90km away leaving destruction in its wake.

Compounding the crisis was the fact that at least 150 tons of machine oil from the plant had already entered the Dnipro river, and there is a risk of further leakage of more than 300 tons.

“There is no doubt that this will lead to large-scale environmental, economic and human consequences. And the results of such a war crime are equivalent to the use of unconventional weapons,” he said.

“The instantaneous death of a large number of fish and animals, the waterlogging of drained [agricultural] lands and the change in the climatic regime of the region, will later be reflected in the food security of the world.”

Mr Podolyak said that the loss of the reservoir will mean the largest nuclear power plant in Europe – the Zaporizhzhia plant – will gradually run out of cooling water.

“A one-time reduction of water in a huge reservoir will [also] lead to unpredictable ecological consequences.

“We already know about the mass death of animals, in particular, in the local zoo,” in area, he added.

He said he believed the goal for Russia was “to create obstacles for the offensive actions of the Armed Forces” echoing earlier statements from Ukraine’s southern command of its army that said they believe Russia blew up the dam to stop a Ukrainian advance across the Dnipro river.

“This once again confirms that the Kremlin does not think strategically, but in terms of short-term situational advantages, “ Mr Podolyak added.

The wall of a major dam in southern Ukraine collapsed Tuesday, triggering floods, endangering Europe’s largest nuclear power plant and threatening drinking water supplies as both sides in the war scrambled to evacuate residents and blamed each other for the destruction.

Ukraine accused Russian forces of blowing up the Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric power station on the Dnieper River in an area that Moscow controls, while Russian officials blamed Ukrainian bombardment in the contested area.

It was not possible to verify the claims.

The potentially far-reaching environmental and social consequences of the disaster quickly became clear as homes, streets and businesses flooded downstream and emergency crews began evacuations; officials raced to check cooling systems at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant; and authorities expressed concern about supplies of drinking water to the south in Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.

Both Russian and Ukrainian authorities brought in trains and buses for residents. About 22,000 people live in areas at risk of flooding in Russian-controlled areas, while 16,000 live in the most critical zone in Ukrainian-held territory, according to official tallies.

Neither side reported any deaths or injuries.

The dam break added a stunning new dimension to Russia’s war in Ukraine, now in its 16th month. Ukrainian forces were widely seen to be moving forward with a long-anticipated counteroffensive in patches along more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) of front line in the east and south.It was not immediately clear whether either side benefits from the damage to the dam, since both Russian-controlled and Ukrainian-held lands are at risk.

The damage could also hinder Ukraine‘s counteroffensive in the south and distract its government, while Russia depends on the dam to supply water to Crimea.Although Kyiv officials claimed Russia blew up the dam to hinder the counteroffensive, observers note that crossing the broad Dnieper would be extremely challenging for the Ukrainian military. Other sectors of the front line are more likely avenues of attack, analysts say.

Ihor Klymenko, Ukraine’s interior minister, has reportedly claimed that Russia is shelling areas in southern Kherson. These are areas where people are currenly being evacuated, the Guardian has said.

“The Russian military continue to shell territory where evacuation measures are being carried out,” Mr Klymenko told Ukraine television.

“An hour ago, two police officers were wounded in the area. Shelling continues at the moment.”

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has tweeted a video of the destruction caused, alongside a message calling for the world to react.

“This is just one day of Russian aggression. This is just one Russian act of terrorism. This is just one Russian war crime. Now Russia is guilty of brutal ecocide. Any comments are superfluous.

“The world must react. Russia is at war against life, against nature, against civilization.

“Russia must leave the Ukrainian land and must be held fully accountable for its terror.”

In this clip shared by the Kyiv Independent, an officer steps in to rescue a dog that was struggling in rising waters.

Flooding has been experienced in Kherson after the destruction of the dam.

Ukraine has claimed that 150 tonnes of machine oil has polluted the Dnipro river following the destruction of the Kakhovka dam.

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday accused Russian forces of blowing up the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station from inside the facility and said Russia must be held to account for a “terrorist attack” that leaves settlements vulnerable to flooding.

“We are doing everything to save people,” he said on Telegram.

Foreign secretary James Cleverly said Kyiv’s military strategy was a matter for Ukraine’s commanders but there were limitations on the use of UK-supplied equipment.

He was speaking in response to recent attacks within Russia by Ukraine or allied paramilitary groups.

“We have always made it clear that we support Ukraine’s self-defence and, of course, the decisions about how Ukraine conducts that self-defence are rightly decisions which are made by Ukraine’s leadership,” he told reporters in Kyiv.

“We want to see this war come to a conclusion quickly and it has to come to a conclusion which is fair, which is right for the people of Ukraine and, of course, is a conclusion which reinforces rather than undermines the UN Charter and the concept of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“So we will continue to work with Ukraine as it defends itself against this Russian aggression.”

Mr Cleverly said there was no difference with the United States on its position on cross-border attacks: “All countries, including the United Kingdom have put limitations on the military equipment that we have donated. And in most instances, that means that that equipment can only be used within Ukrainian territory and on that issue, the UK and the US are in exactly the same place.”

This video shows footage of the devastating flooding in Kherson Oblast, the Kyiv Independent tweeted on Tuesday afternoon.

The journal has claimed the dam was destroyed by Russian forces.