ZELENSKYY VISITS KHERSON AFTER NOVA KAKHOVKA DAM COLLAPSE

Thu 08 June 2023:

Zelenskyy visited the flooded southern region of Kherson and discussed the situation after the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam on Tuesday.

“Many important issues were discussed. The operational situation in the region as a result of the disaster, evacuation of the population from potential flood zones, elimination of the emergency caused by the dam explosion, organization of life support for the flooded areas,” he said on his Telegram channel.

“Also, the prospects for restoring the region’s ecosystem and the operational military situation in the man-made disaster area.”

Zelenskyy also said it is important to allocate funds to compensate residents in the area who have been affected by the flooding.

У пункті евакуації на базі одного з медзакладів Херсона поспілкувався з нашими людьми, які постраждали внаслідок руйнування Каховської ГЕС.

Ми допоможемо, і все, що треба відновити, ми відбудуємо. Дякую вам і бажаю здоров’я.

Хочу подякувати всьому персоналу медзакладу за роботу… pic.twitter.com/8omzH8pVzy

— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 8, 2023

Flooding extends to over 600sq km after dam breach, says Ukraine

Flooding from the Nova Kakhovka dam breach extends to more than 600 square kilometres (232 square miles) on the Ukrainian-held right bank of the Dnipro and the Russian-held left bank, according to the region’s governor.

“The average level of flooding is 5.61 metre [18.4 feet]. Six hundred square kilometres [232 square miles] of the Kherson region are underwater, of which 32 percent is the right bank and 68 percent is the left bank,” Oleksandr Prokudin, the governor of Kherson, said, adding that “despite the danger and heavy Russian shelling, the evacuation from the flooded area continues.”

Prokudin said the situation in Russian-held areas was “extremely difficult”.

Red Cross warns about dislodged mines

Mines dispersed by floodwaters from the breached Kakhovka dam could pose a grave danger to civilians for decades to come, the Red Cross said.

An explosion at the Kakhovka dam unleashed waters that have washed over countless land mines sown during the 15-month war and now could be in the minefields, stuck in the river mud or in gardens.

“In the past we knew where the hazards were. Now we don’t know. All we know is that they are somewhere downstream,” said Erik Tollefsen, head of the Weapon Contamination Unit at the International Committee of the Red Cross.

“It is with a certain horror that we look at the news coming out,” said Tollefsen in an audio clip, adding that World War Two mines found underwater in Denmark in 2015 were still active.

World Bank to assess damage after dam destruction

The World Bank says it will support Ukraine by conducting a rapid assessment of damage and needs after Tuesday’s destruction of a huge hydroelectric dam on the front lines between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

Anna Bjerde, the World Bank’s managing director for operations, said on Twitter the destruction of the Novo Kakhovka dam had “many very serious consequences for essential service delivery and the broader environment”.

The destruction of the Kakhovka HPP has many very serious consequences for essential service delivery and the broader environment.

The @WorldBank will support #Ukraine️ by conducting a rapid assessment building on the recent RDNA work. https://t.co/zUINTpB0FM

— Anna Bjerde (@bjerde_anna) June 7, 2023