The Nova Kakhovka dam, located on Europe’s fourth longest river, the Dnipro, in Southern Ukraine, was partially destroyed on June 6th. This caused a massive torrent of water to burst down the stream, resulting in the flooding of nearby villages.
Both Ukraine and Russia are blaming each other for the breach of the 3.2 km long and 30 meters deep dam. Russia has been in control of the location since early in the war.
The dam serves as water supply for cooling the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, which is currently under Russian control, as well as the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula. The vast reservoir behind the dam, measuring 240 km long and up to 23 km wide, is also used to supply water to large agricultural areas in Southern Ukraine.
In a recent statement, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that there is no immediate risk to the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. The plant’s reactors have been shut down for many months, and the IAEA estimates that the current water supplies for cooling the reactors will be sufficient for several months.
Meanwhile, the destruction of the dam is expected to cause a new humanitarian disaster in the centre of the war zone as:
- 2,800 people on both sides of the river were evacuated on the day of the breach and 4,500 houses have been flooded
- Between 16,000 – 40,000 people are currently at risk in the critical zones (according to numbers provided by Ukraine and Russia)
- More than 80 localities along the Dnipro River banks are in danger of flooding, with 15 villages already partially flooded
- The city of Kherson with a population of 290,000, is also at risk of partial flooding
- The water flow resulting from the breach carries landmines from the minefields, wastewater, dead animals and other pollutants.
The UN considers the destruction of the dam as “the most significant incident of damage to civilian infrastructure since the start of the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine”. It warns that the consequences will be grave and far-reaching for thousands of people in southern Ukraine.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated that the UN does not have access to impartial information to confirm how the terrible event occurred. However, he emphasized that this is yet another disastrous effect of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Guterres assured that the UN and its partners are rapidly assisting the affected regions, providing drinking water, purification tablets, and more. He noted that approximately 16,000 people have lost their homes and have been evacuated at this point.
“Above all, I appeal for a just peace, in line with the UN Charter, international law, and the resolutions of the General Assembly,” outlined Guterres.
