On Wednesday, senior Ukrainian officials inspected the extensive damage resulting from the collapse of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam. They expressed concerns about the potential spread of diseases and hazardous chemicals and the risks associated with exposed floating mines due to the flooding.
They warned that the flood would leave hundreds of thousands of people without access to drinking water, swamp tens of thousands of hectares of agricultural land, and transform at least 500,000 hectares of irrigated land into deserts.
Impact of the Kakhovka Dam Disaster
The recent disaster at the Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine has had significant repercussions on multiple fronts. The collapse of a structure at the southern point of the Kakhovka Reservoir, which was deliberately destroyed, resulted in a sudden and massive release of water. This event has further exacerbated the suffering of thousands of individuals already affected by the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Immediate concerns arise from the explosion, including the imminent threat of severe flooding in the nearby villages surrounding the reservoir, located near Kherson. Additionally, there is a long-term risk of overheating at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, as the Kakhovka dam's reservoir played a crucial role in cooling the plant's reactors.
Floods following the breach of Ukraine's Nova Kakhovka dam are threatening a new wave of homelessness, disease, toxic chemical contamination and even warnings of floating landmines in this ecological disaster https://t.co/kFuLNxeaAv pic.twitter.com/o73rXOFyFp
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 7, 2023
The Ukrainian Ministry of Health has issued warnings about the potential spread of diseases and significant fish die-offs as a consequence of the dam's destruction. They have expressed concerns that chemicals and pathogens may infiltrate wells and bodies of water in the southern Kherson region due to the flooding. Water samples are being analysed by specialists, and the Ministry plans to increase stocks of antibiotics in the area.
Ukraine has also raised environmental concerns, specifically regarding the large amount of oil that leaked into the Dnieper River from the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam. Daria Zarivna, a presidential communications adviser, shared on social media that approximately 150 tonnes of engine oil entered the river as a result of the explosion.
Ukrainian Environment Minister Ruslan Strilets described the flooding from the Nova Kakhovka dam disaster as causing irreparable damage to Ukrainian wilderness. He emphasised that this destructive event constitutes an act of ecocide and a humanitarian catastrophe, resulting in the permanent loss of certain parts of the region's natural habitats.
According to Ukrainian authorities, water levels were expected to rise by an additional meter (nearly 3 feet) by Thursday following the collapse of the Kakhovka dam.
UN Response
Humanitarian organisations are expressing concerns about the pressing need for a health response in the aftermath of the Kakhovka dam disaster. They are particularly worried about the potential rise in waterborne infections due to flooding and a scarcity of clean water.
Olivia Headon, spokesperson for the United Nations' International Organization for Migration (IOM), addressed the situation from Kyiv, emphasizing the ongoing efforts of the organization and its humanitarian partners. She stated, "We are providing assistance with clean water supplies to the areas where evacuees are being relocated and also working to transport them to safe locations along the banks of the Dnipro River, which is a critical zone."
Thousands of people in Ukraine are in peril after the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam.
— UN Ukraine (@UN_Ukraine) June 6, 2023
Many risk being left homeless and in desperate need, compounding the misery Ukrainians face amid Russia’s full-scale invasion. pic.twitter.com/eBm4zayWFc
UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated that at least 16,000 people have already lost their homes. In this respect, he noted that the UN and its partners are assisting the affected regions, including drinking water, purification tablets, and “other critical assistance.”
Guterres described the situation in Kherson as a “monumental humanitarian, economic, and environmental catastrophe” caused directly by Russia’s invasion.
Martin Griffiths, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, stated that “the sheer magnitude of the catastrophe” in and around the Kherson region “will only be evident in the coming days.” It was already obvious, he added, that it would have “grave and far-reaching consequences for thousands of people in southern Ukraine, on both sides of the frontline, through the loss of homes, food, safe water, and livelihoods.”
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), there is “no immediate threat” to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. “IAEA experts at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant are closely monitoring the situation,” the UN agency wrote on Twitter.
Spoke w/@DmytroKuleba about the outrageous destruction of the #Kakhovka dam, which is displacing thousands of people & causing an ecological catastrophe in #Ukraine. Minister Kuleba will virtually join Allied ambassadors in a #NATO-Ukraine Commission meeting I will chair tomorrow
— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) June 7, 2023
NATO Condemns the Blast
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that the demolition of the Kakhovka dam demonstrates the severity of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “The destruction of the Kakhovka dam today puts thousands of civilians at risk and causes severe environmental damage,” Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter.
According to Stoltenberg, an emergency conference will be held on Thursday to examine the “outrageous destruction” of the Kakhovka dam. He added that he spoke to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who will participate in the meeting via video link.
US Assessing Situation
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre, during a briefing, expressed that while the White House is still determining the party accountable for the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant, Russia ultimately bears responsibility as the dam was under Russian occupation. She stated, "Russia has no business to be (in Ukraine) in the first place. This dam was under Russia's control, and they bear responsibility for the destruction caused by this war."
In response to the news release, John Kirby, spokesperson for the US National Security Council, stated that the administration of US President Joe Biden could not "say conclusively" who was responsible for the dam disaster.
Russian terrorists. The destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam only confirms for the whole world that they must be expelled from every corner of Ukrainian land. Not a single meter should be left to them, because they use every meter for terror. It’s only… pic.twitter.com/ErBog1gRhH
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 6, 2023
Zelensky Blames Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy strongly condemned Russia and referred to them as "terrorists" while holding them responsible for the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam. In a video message, he expressed that the incident serves as undeniable evidence to the world that Russia should be expelled from all parts of Ukrainian territory.
Despite the disaster caused by what he referred to as Russian terrorists at the Kakhovka dam, Zelenskyy asserted that Ukraine and its people will not be deterred. He assured assistance to those affected by the floods in the region.
Zelenskyy attributed the destruction of the dam to Russia's attempt to halt the Ukrainian counteroffensive. He declared that Ukraine would continue its efforts to liberate the entire country, emphasizing that such attacks would not prevent Russia's defeat but would instead hold Moscow accountable for further damages.