Kherson (Kherson). Authorities on Wednesday supplied drinking water to a flood-hit area after a dam broke in southern Ukraine. While more than 2,700 people were evacuated to safer places during this period.
More than 2,700 people have taken shelter in the Russian- and Ukrainian-occupied territories on either side of the Dnieper dam, which collapsed a day earlier. However, the reasons for this disaster are not yet clear.
The Kakhovka Hydroelectric Dam and Reservoir is one of the largest dams in the world and plays an important role in providing drinking water supplies and irrigation facilities in southern Ukraine. Part of it falls in the Kherson region, which was occupied by the Russian army last year. The river there is a dividing line between the areas under the control of the two warring sides. This reservoir is also important for the water supply in the Crimean peninsula. This peninsula was merged into its territory by Russia in 2014.
Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, said he met with officials to find immediate water supplies and long-term solutions for settlements dependent on the reservoir. He alleged that the authorities in the Russian occupied territories did not respond adequately to the emergency.
Russian officials said they had evacuated fewer than 1,300 people from the area to safety. At the same time, 1,700 people have been evacuated to safer places from the occupied territory of Ukraine. The population of both the localities is 40,000 and 42,000 respectively.
Ukraine has accused Russia of breaking the dam, while Russia has blamed Ukrainian shelling for the dam breach. Zelensky accused Moscow of deliberately destroying the dam.
Share: