Russia-Ukraine war live: evacuations under way near Kherson after Kyiv accuses Russia over destruction of dam

The Kremlin has accused Ukraine of sabotaging the Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro River, which sits in a Russian-occupied part of Ukraine, to distract attention from a supposedly “faltering” counteroffensive against Russian forces, Reuters reports.

“,”elementId”:”8188afd6-6b71-4132-820b-3225bb5ae2a9″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesperson, told reporters: “We can state unequivocally that we are talking about deliberate sabotage by the Ukrainian side.” He said Vladimir Putin had been briefed on the situation.

“,”elementId”:”14ec9c1f-dfb7-47de-aa30-27f97ba96f8c”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

He said the destruction of the dam was intended to deprive Russian-controlled Crimea of the fresh water it receives from the reservoir through the North Crimean Canal, and to distract attention from the counteroffensive.

“,”elementId”:”3498bb33-e783-4c3f-bb01-f1afbd59c85b”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

“Apparently, this sabotage is also connected with the fact that having started large-scale offensive actions two days ago, now the Ukrainian armed forces are not achieving their goals – these offensive actions are faltering.”

“,”elementId”:”49054b24-ff6f-4d6b-82ff-52e786b4485a”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Asked about Ukrainian allegations that Russia had destroyed the dam, Peskov said: “We can strongly reject this. We officially declare that here we are definitely talking about deliberate sabotage from the Ukrainian side.”

“,”elementId”:”0e5d5918-74a1-40e4-9c6a-8d188d37efac”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Peskov said the sabotage could “potentially have very serious consequences for several tens of thousands of residents of the region”.

“,”elementId”:”8eb5b149-4455-4597-8b20-ed20ed9d2c4b”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1686047460000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”06.31 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1686048536000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”06.48 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1686048233000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”06.43 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”06.43″,”title”:”Kremlin accuses Ukraine of deliberately sabotaging Nova Kakhovka dam”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 6 Jun 2023 06.48 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 5 Jun 2023 23.51 EDT”},{“id”:”647f02418f083b98d0d4ea3c”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

n

• The Ukrainian government has accused Russia of blowing up the Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro River, and called for people living downstream to evacuate in the face of catastrophic flooding. Ukrahydroenergo said the hydoelectric power plant at the dam had been blown up from the inside and was irreparable.

n

• The governor of the Kherson region, Oleksandr Prokudin, said about 16,000 people were in the “critical zone” on the Ukrainian-controlled right bank of the river. He said people were being evacuated for districts upstream of Kherson city and would be taken by bus to the city and then by train to Mykolaiv, and to other Ukrainian cities including Khmelnytskyi, Odesa, Kropyvnytskyi and Kyiv.

n

• Occupying Russian authorities in the town of Nova Kakhovka initially denied anything had happened to the dam, then blamed the collapse on Ukrainian shelling. Vladimir Leontyev told the Tass news agency it was a serious terrorist act and a catastrophe, which “was created by the Ukrainian authorities and those who govern them”. Leontyev said part of the town had been disconnected from power supplies for safety reasons, and about 300 houses had been evacuated.

n

“,”elementId”:”d16e9401-a7ba-41df-a7ce-11e9cdfa5cc3″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.YoutubeBlockElement”,”id”:”5560b718-0243-4dab-9f05-f1dd1cf7adec”,”assetId”:”DItox6YLisk”,”channelId”:”UCIRYBXDze5krPDzAEOxFGVA”,”mediaTitle”:”Ukraine: thousands evacuate in fear of catastrophic flooding after dam destroyed – video”,”posterImage”:[{“url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/a71e357e787f7af67ddf29439dfbd35f487c9a3b/0_0_1920_1080/1000.jpg”,”width”:1000},{“url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/a71e357e787f7af67ddf29439dfbd35f487c9a3b/0_0_1920_1080/500.jpg”,”width”:500},{“url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/a71e357e787f7af67ddf29439dfbd35f487c9a3b/0_0_1920_1080/140.jpg”,”width”:140},{“url”:”https://media.guim.co.uk/a71e357e787f7af67ddf29439dfbd35f487c9a3b/0_0_1920_1080/1920.jpg”,”width”:1920}],”expired”:false,”duration”:78,”elementId”:”e3a43cc0-c429-4e29-8fcb-7fdf3c7aa870″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

n

• The areas most under threat of flooding are the islands along the course of the Dnipro downstream of Nova Kakhovka and much of the Russian-held left bank in southern Kherson. Earlier modelling of such a disaster suggested Kherson city would not take the brunt of the flood, but the harbour, the docklands and an island in the south of the city are likely to be inundated. It is unclear how many people could lose their homes. Andrey Alekseyenko, one of the Russian-installed officials in occupied Kherson, has posted to Telegram to say that up to 22,000 people are in the flood plains in Russian-controlled territory.

n

• Denys Sukhanov, a humanitarian volunteer who works in the Ukrainian-controlled Kherson territory, told the broadcaster Suspilne that “Kherson urgently needs people who will perform the duties of volunteers to coordinate actions at evacuation points, receiving people, boarding buses, resettlement and feeding.”

n

“,”elementId”:”34511447-ef30-4a6e-8833-611fc07368ae”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement”,”url”:”https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/06/nova-kakhovka-dam-everything-you-need-to-know-about-ukraines-strategically-important-reservoir”,”text”:”Nova Kakhovka dam: everything you need to know about Ukraine’s strategically important reservoir “,”prefix”:”Related: “,”role”:”thumbnail”,”elementId”:”d91fd79b-9a24-4821-94e8-8a0908883385″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

n

• There seems to be no immediate safety threat to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant from the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam 200km downstream, according to Ukrainian and UN experts. Water from the reservoir affected by the destruction of the dam is used to supply the plant’s cooling systems.

n

• Ukraine’s foreign affairs minister, Dmytro Kuleba, called the destruction of the dam “probably Europe’s largest technological disaster in decades” and a “heinous war crime”.

n

• The British foreign secretary, James Cleverly, who is in Ukraine, blamed the destruction on Russia’s invasion. “I’ve heard reports of the explosion on the dam and the risk of flooding. It’s too early to make any kind of meaningful assessment of the details. But it’s worth remembering that the only reason this is an issue at all is because of Russia’s unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine,” he said.

n

• The dam traverses Ukraine’s enormous Dnipro River, holding back a huge reservoir of water. The dam is 30 metres tall and hundreds of metres wide. It was built in 1956 as part of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant. Water from the reservoir supplies the Crimean peninsula to the south, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.

n

• Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has suggested that the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam was the fault of “Russian terrorists”. Zelenskiy said in a post on Twitter, “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 metre should be left to them, because they use every metre for terror.”

n

“,”elementId”:”affd994f-7b03-4302-bcf3-2fa18c2bdf78″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:false,”summary”:true},”blockCreatedOn”:1686045249000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”05.54 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1686046015000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”06.06 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1686045805000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”06.03 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”06.03″,”title”:”Summary of the day so far …”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 6 Jun 2023 06.48 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 5 Jun 2023 23.51 EDT”},{“id”:”647f00018f080249d9e1bf32″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The chief of the UN’s atomic agency, Rafael Grossi, has issued a statement about the Nova Kakhovka dam destruction and its potential impact on nuclear safety at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP).

“,”elementId”:”4d938b8d-93bf-4f2e-87ad-9e04dae336b9″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

He said a planned visit to the plant would go ahead next week, and called on both sides in the conflict to do nothing to further endanger safety at the plant, drawing particular attention to the on-site cooling pond.

“,”elementId”:”c5392ed2-fb54-4ed8-b00f-8d9d62fb63b5″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The IAEA’s director general said:

“,”elementId”:”78e5fe7f-fb51-466c-82da-d4c76ee8ac78″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement”,”html”:”

n

The IAEA staff on the site have been informed that the damage to the Nova Kakhovka dam is currently leading to about 5cm/hour reduction in the height of the reservoir.

n

The main line of cooling water is fed from the reservoir and pumped up through channels near the thermal power plant to the site. It is estimated that the water through this route should last for a few days.

n

Water in the reservoir was at around 16.4 metres at 8am. If it drops below 12.7 metres then it can no longer be pumped.

n

The ZNPP is making all efforts to pump as much water into its cooling channels and related systems as possible. In addition, non-essential consumers of water are being stopped at ZNPP to reduce the consumption of water.

n

ZNPP management is discussing further measures to be implemented.

n

There are a number of alternative sources of water.

n

A main one is the large cooling pond next to the site that by design is kept above the height of the reservoir. As the reactors have been shut down for many months, it is estimated that this pond will be sufficient to provide water for cooling for some months. The agency will confirm this very shortly.

n

It is therefore vital that this cooling pond remains intact. Nothing must be done to potentially undermine its integrity. I call on all sides to ensure nothing is done to undermine that.

n

My trip to ZNPP next week was planned and now it is essential. I will go.

n

“,”elementId”:”c6b881cd-1913-4e21-ae30-1ea1bb262813″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1686044673000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”05.44 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1686045669000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”06.01 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1686045118000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”05.51 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”05.51″,”title”:”UN atomic agency chief issues statement on potential impact at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 6 Jun 2023 06.48 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 5 Jun 2023 23.51 EDT”},{“id”:”647eee9f8f08e2e6a7f95f70″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The Russian military is shelling Kherson with artillery, while the population is being evacuated in the city, the ministry of internal affairs reported. Two police officers received shrapnel wounds, Suspilne, Ukraine’s state broadcaster, reports.

“,”elementId”:”c7275beb-0fe8-43c9-9a83-2aeb0ac5e8fe”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The claims have not been independently verified.

“,”elementId”:”3b5c67e2-ed5d-4dfe-a3d4-91f06c2e0e40″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1686040223000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”04.30 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1686040763000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”04.39 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1686040299000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”04.31 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”04.31″,”title”:”Ukrainian official: Russia shelling Kherson while evacuation taking place”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 6 Jun 2023 06.48 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 5 Jun 2023 23.51 EDT”},{“id”:”647ee1fd8f0800788faca1c9″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

There seems to be no immediate safety threat to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP), from the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam 120 miles downstream, according to Ukrainian and UN experts.

“,”elementId”:”63f3ef2c-94a8-401f-b93e-6522c9751c31″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The Ukrainian nuclear energy corporation, Energoatom, put out a statement saying the situation at the plant was under control, and the International Atomic Energy Agency said its experts at the site were monitoring the situation and there was “no immediate nuclear safety risk”.

“,”elementId”:”0e46cc2e-0040-4356-90a7-ea1fa9297f51″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

But there are long-term concerns over safety and the possibility of the plant operating again in the coming years.

“,”elementId”:”363eed48-c01d-49e5-8950-fbbe27e73ad4″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Oleksiy, a former reactor operator and shift supervisor at the plant, pointed out that all six reactors had been shut down since the plant found itself on the frontline after the Russian invasion.

“,”elementId”:”7dfaefbf-fb78-4918-9819-4050e6d9eb66″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Five of the reactors are in “cold shutdown”, turned off completely and being cooled, and one is in “hot shutdown”, kept at 200-250C, so that it will be easier to restart when conditions allowed, and to supply hot water to the neighbouring town of Enerhodar.

“,”elementId”:”fcadb01b-705b-4aee-890c-9722164b1e24″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Oleksiy, who left after the Russians occupied the plant in March last year and is now elsewhere in Ukraine, said the last reactor should now be shut down, and that the plant had sufficient resources for now to keep all reactor cores cool.

“,”elementId”:”bc95a52b-4e1a-45a5-85cc-6372032035a1″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

“I think that the damage of the dam doesn’t impact the plant immediately, because they are being cooled by the safety systems located at the plant, which are spray systems,” he said. “The plant has a cooling lake, about two or three kilometres in diameter.”

“,”elementId”:”bac5fe4b-ae06-4378-94e1-fb0a0f6dc23d”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The Energoatom statement said the cooling lake was filled and was current at 16.6 metres, “which is sufficient for the power plant’s needs”.

“,”elementId”:”fac40e89-7f5f-4b40-987c-f49fdbb5b9ff”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Mariana Budjeryn, a Ukrainian nuclear scientist, said: “The fact that there’s an artificial pond next to the ZNPP where water can be maintained above the reservoir level and the fact that the reactors are in cold shutdown, offers some reassurance and increased time to respond if the ZNPP starts getting affected.”

“,”elementId”:”01aff2f1-a946-41f1-8160-bf829cc72ae7″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

But Budjeryn, who is senior research associate at Harvard University, added: “The bigger problem – who is going to do it? ZNPP is already down staffed to bare bones.”

“,”elementId”:”741e967c-47d7-4c2c-b279-809483893227″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Oleksiy said that over time water would evaporate from the cooling lake and if it could not be filled from the vast reservoir that had been created upstream of the Nova Kakhovka dam, the turbines and the power plant could not be operated.

“,”elementId”:”54654b5b-e10d-4d6d-baba-693ea4ad2232″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Budjeryn had another sobering thought about the implications.

“,”elementId”:”796ef27c-4edb-4155-91f2-59da8a6883ac”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

“If the Russians would do this with Kakhovka, there’s no guarantee they won’t blow up the reactor units at ZNPP that are also reportedly mined – three of the six,” she said. “It wouldn’t cause a Chornobyl, but massive disruption, local contamination and long-term damage to Ukraine.”

“,”elementId”:”27fd67aa-6f04-4448-b300-4d252d98d5d3″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1686036989000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”03.36 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1686038882000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”04.08 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1686037216000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”03.40 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”03.40″,”title”:”‘No immediate nuclear safety risk’ at Zaporizhzhia after destruction of Nova Kakhovka dam”,”contributors”:[{“name”:”Julian Borger”,”imageUrl”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2023/05/25/Julian_Borger.jpg?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=0dd6dd839dfb21b9cf70fc656f457dab”,”largeImageUrl”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2023/05/25/Julian_Borger.png?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=60c97d164e88db44be6fe68d1a60c8f6″}],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 6 Jun 2023 06.48 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 5 Jun 2023 23.51 EDT”},{“id”:”647ed5a28f08e2e6a7f95eb3″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Suspilne, Ukraine’s state broadcaster, is reporting that the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power plant was completely destroyed “as a result of the explosion of the engine room from the inside” and is not repairable. It cites Ukrahydroenergo.

“,”elementId”:”eed07a7d-acb0-482d-9837-0e7c52c54f4f”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

More details soon …

“,”elementId”:”ce5afa43-8a6a-4506-b097-416c23a30efa”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1686033826000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”02.43 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1686034609000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”02.56 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1686034058000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”02.47 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”02.47″,”title”:”Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power plant completely destroyed, says Ukrainian state broadcaster”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 6 Jun 2023 06.48 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 5 Jun 2023 23.51 EDT”},{“id”:”647ed36b8f08ebf1ed8749e3″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Julian Borger and Dan Sabbagh report from Kyiv for the Guardian:

“,”elementId”:”6d519c8b-3d5f-4dfb-a630-f4c9f39bd6be”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The Ukrainian government has accused Russia of blowing up the Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro River, and called for people living downstream to evacuate in the face of catastrophic flooding.

“,”elementId”:”a5d5b43b-0aa2-4938-8ce5-daeddc5f862c”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

As aerial footage circulated on social media, showing most of the dam wall washed away and a massive surge of water heading downstream, the army’s Southern Operational Command put up a Facebook post accusing “Russian occupation troops” of blowing up the hydroelectric dam.

“,”elementId”:”b5de488d-3248-47f4-a8f3-0be5ac101d1e”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The governor of the Kherson region, Oleksandr Prokudin, said about 16,000 people were in the “critical zone” on the Ukrainian-controlled right bank of the river. He said people were being evacuated for districts upstream of Kherson city and would be taken to bus to the city and then by train to Mykolaiv, and on to other Ukrainian cities.

“,”elementId”:”5a80e7c0-29ce-4c85-827e-129b5dc3aad0″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The disaster happened on the second day of Ukrainian offensive operations likely to mark the early stages of a mass counteroffensive. It could affect any Ukrainian plans for an amphibious assault across the river.

“,”elementId”:”4abd3443-2be3-4f80-8806-89adfc2c8295″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.InteractiveBlockElement”,”url”:”https://interactive.guim.co.uk/uploader/embed/2023/06/embed-5-zip/giv-13425A7Unj2dbSZHf/”,”alt”:”Map of the area affected”,”scriptUrl”:”https://interactive.guim.co.uk/embed/iframe-wrapper/0.1/boot.js”,”isMandatory”:false,”elementId”:”57e20a57-4a98-4dd1-a004-28e4e0de8963″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Local Russian authorities in the town of Nova Kakhovka initially denied that anything had happened to the dam, then blamed the collapse on Ukrainian shelling. Interfax news agency quoted an unnamed official from the Kherson emergency services as saying the dam had collapsed from structural weakness under water pressure.

“,”elementId”:”ecec18b7-5d75-4c07-a3f0-0b95a6503be1″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called an emergency meeting of his national security council on Tuesday in the wake of the disaster.

“,”elementId”:”68274004-fb61-47d4-be8d-a38789a8b8b5″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The areas most under threat of flooding are the islands along the course of the river downstream of Nova Kakhovka and much of the Russian-held left bank in southern Kherson. Earlier modelling of such a disaster suggested Kherson city would not take the brunt of the flood, but the harbour, the docklands and an island in the south of the city are likely to be inundated. It is unclear how many people would lose their homes.

“,”elementId”:”542774f6-a301-4815-8ed2-9f9bf26dca86″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

There could be two further dramatic side-effects: the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant upstream could lose access to water for cooling as the reservoir drains away, and the water supply to Crimea could be severely affected.

“,”elementId”:”4a2885fd-16db-4255-abd9-c4322fde6853″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Read more here: Ukraine accuses Russia of blowing up Nova Kakhovka dam near Kherson

“,”elementId”:”4a02daee-e83f-424d-aa61-f8a1d7464a7f”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement”,”url”:”https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/06/ukraine-accuses-russia-of-blowing-up-nova-kakhovka-dam-near-kherson”,”text”:”Ukraine accuses Russia of blowing up Nova Kakhovka dam near Kherson”,”prefix”:”Related: “,”role”:”thumbnail”,”elementId”:”2baf1a82-3a54-4944-bfb2-08962c903da4″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:true,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1686033259000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”02.34 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1686034011000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”02.46 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1686033466000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”02.37 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”02.37″,”title”:”Ukraine accuses Russia of blowing up Nova Kakhovka dam near Kherson”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 6 Jun 2023 06.48 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 5 Jun 2023 23.51 EDT”},{“id”:”647ece948f0800788faca129″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Anton Gerashchenko, a former minister and an adviser to the interior ministry, has suggested on social media that about 16,000 people may be affected by any potential flood from the breach of the Nova Kakhovka dam.

“,”elementId”:”5b900d7f-48eb-4700-9b64-3e2fd2dc9fcc”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TweetBlockElement”,”html”:”

About 16,000 people are in “critical zone” in Kherson region on the right bank of the Dnieper river – head of Kherson regional military administration.

Evacuation trains will take people to safety from Kherson. pic.twitter.com/rmltVcc9yI

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) June 6, 2023

“,”url”:”https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1665963206395801601″,”id”:”1665963206395801601″,”hasMedia”:false,”role”:”inline”,”isThirdPartyTracking”:false,”source”:”Twitter”,”elementId”:”7ce742f1-e24d-47b3-9dc6-3baf9dddfe57″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The video footage in his tweet has not been independently verified by the Guardian.

“,”elementId”:”a1854d49-86e2-48bf-9034-c9d9371d7ffb”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1686032020000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”02.13 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1686033508000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”02.38 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1686032104000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”02.15 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”02.15″,”title”:”About 16,000 people could be affected by potential flood from dam, says former minister”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 6 Jun 2023 06.48 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 5 Jun 2023 23.51 EDT”},{“id”:”647ec6188f08ebf1ed874981″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Energoatom, the Ukrainian state nuclear energy company, has responded to the damage to the dam, saying it “may have negative consequences for the [Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant], but the situation is under control”.

“,”elementId”:”53096db0-f6fb-4d2b-97c4-7430aec024be”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

It has blamed the dam’s flooding on Russian forces, saying, “On the night of June 6, 2023, the Russian invaders blew up the dam of the Kakhovskaya HPP.”

“,”elementId”:”cba8934d-f597-474b-a1bb-14c075bec596″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

It explained that the “rapidly decreasing” water levels in the reservoir posed an “additional threat to the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhya NPP.”

“,”elementId”:”3647fed2-8fe3-4d5a-b553-cb809857aacf”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

For now, however, the nuclear power station’s cooling pond was full, it said.

“,”elementId”:”32677ae0-6571-43e5-a4c0-93c0d67ef405″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement”,”html”:”

n

Water from the Kakhovsky reservoir is necessary for the station to receive power for turbine capacitors and safety systems of the ZNPP. The station’s cooling pond is now full: as of 8am, the water level is 16.6 metres, which is sufficient for the station’s needs.

n

Energoatom monitors the situation and follows the actions of workers at the ZNPP together with other international organisations present at the plant, in particular, the IAEA.

n

Any changes will be promptly notified.

n

“,”elementId”:”35adde62-5fea-482f-8915-388cab2743ad”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1686029848000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”01.37 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1686033700000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”02.41 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1686030080000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”01.41 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”01.41″,”title”:”Dam’s destruction ‘may have negative consequences’ for Zaporizhzia, but situation ‘under control'”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 6 Jun 2023 06.48 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 5 Jun 2023 23.51 EDT”},{“id”:”647ec4528f0800788faca0e8″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has suggested that what he called the “destruction” of the Nova Kakhovka dam was the fault of “Russian terrorists”.

“,”elementId”:”12929fe5-6f0c-40f8-b2d4-374eeec4f03a”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Zelenskiy said in a post on Twitter, “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 metre should be left to them, because they use every metre for terror.”

“,”elementId”:”33e05b4b-b518-472a-9e07-c22f1ed970d6″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

He added: “All services are working. I have convened the national security and defence council.”

“,”elementId”:”83bc03a2-503f-475f-b745-7e1ac8c75735″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TweetBlockElement”,”html”:”

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

“,”url”:”https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1665952784665964545?s=20″,”id”:”1665952784665964545″,”hasMedia”:false,”role”:”inline”,”isThirdPartyTracking”:false,”source”:”Twitter”,”elementId”:”2b31c62f-6e3a-43fc-b448-fbe3d1962cb2″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1686029394000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”01.29 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1686033734000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”02.42 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1686029525000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”01.32 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”01.32″,”title”:”Zelenskiy blames dam ‘destruction’ on ‘Russian terrorists'”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 6 Jun 2023 06.48 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 5 Jun 2023 23.51 EDT”},{“id”:”647ec3b28f0800788faca0db”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

In May, residents in a nearby village reported ongoing flooding which they blamed on Russia’s occupation of Nova Kakhovka. Speaking to the Reuters news agency, locals said the water level had begun to rise in April, sometimes by up to 30cm a day, and had remained elevated since.

“,”elementId”:”f17c3ffa-214d-431d-812e-00145e4a8337″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Ukrainian officials said the “rise of the Dnieper’s water level, as a result of which settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region were flooded, is linked to the Russian occupation of the Kakhovka dam”.

“,”elementId”:”55fcdafa-c8ff-431c-aae4-511939ef7372″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

But they added that they were unable to say what exactly Russian forces were doing at the dam because they did not have access themselves.

“,”elementId”:”f0aba270-fd31-41ed-9e89-7bba5d0583a6″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

A Russian energy official also warned in May that the dam risked being overwhelmed by record-high water levels.

“,”elementId”:”04d75eae-96de-476e-b39c-932509fda842″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1686029234000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”01.27 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1686033766000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”02.42 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1686029254000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”01.27 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”01.27″,”title”:”What has been happening to the dam this year?”,”contributors”:[{“name”:”Jonathan Yerushalmy”,”imageUrl”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2022/11/14/Jonathan_Yerushalmy.jpg?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=18205025822d313413c837a2ce11dce5″,”largeImageUrl”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2022/11/14/Jonathan_Yerushalmy.png?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=0ef42fa3eda9485f4721ffb3fbf890fe”}],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 6 Jun 2023 06.48 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 5 Jun 2023 23.51 EDT”},{“id”:”647ebed68f0800788faca0b0″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

If you’re just joining us, a vast Soviet-era dam in the Russian-controlled part of southern Ukraine was blown on Tuesday, unleashing a flood of water across the war zone, according to Ukrainian and Russian forces.

“,”elementId”:”f8c9f550-a7f2-477d-a494-ce6571007ef0″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Both sides blamed the other for destroying the dam.

“,”elementId”:”837697a4-505e-4b15-9a8a-a203337a83e7″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

This is Helen Sullivan with the latest. You can get in touch with me on Twitter here.

“,”elementId”:”44a37952-2c01-4929-be08-c7cfb6784fcc”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Here is what we know so far:

“,”elementId”:”965db637-ea66-47a9-8733-e6d670b979f7″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

n

• Unverified videos on social media showed water surging through the remains of the dam, with bystanders expressing their shock.

n

• Ukraine’s national police urged people in affected villages to evacuate. The police force named the villages of Mykolaivka, Olhivka, Lyovo, Tyaginka, Poniativka, Ivanovka, Tokarivka, Poniativka, Prydniprovske, Sadove and partly the city of Kherson – Korabel Island. “Units of the national police and the state emergency service of the Kherson region were alerted to alert and evacuate the civilian population from potential flooding zones on the right bank of the Dnieper River” the police force said on Telegram.

n

• Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, will hold an emergency meeting, Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s national security and defence council, said on Twitter on Tuesday.

n

• The Russian news agency Tass reports, citing emergency services, that 80 settlements may be affected by flooding. The damage to the dam will also lead to problems with water supplies to Crimea, Tass cites the Moscow-installed mayor of Nova Kakhovka as saying.

n

• The dam, 30 metres tall and 3.2km (2 miles) long, was built in 1956 on the Dnipro River as part of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant. It holds a reservoir of about the same volume as the Great Salt Lake in Utah and supplies water to the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014, and to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, which is also under Russian control.

n

• Ukraine’s military said Russian forces blew up the dam. “The Kakhovka [dam] was blown up by the Russian occupying forces,” the south command of Ukraine’s armed forces said on Tuesday on its Facebook page. “The scale of the destruction, the speed and volumes of water, and the likely areas of inundation are being clarified.”

n

• Russian news agencies said the dam, controlled by Russian forces, had been destroyed in shelling, while a Russian-installed official said it was a terrorist attack – Russian shorthand for an attack by Ukraine.

n

“,”elementId”:”86183ff2-1461-437a-80e3-c0f5880985d1″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1686027990000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”01.06 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1686033908000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”02.45 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1686028313000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”01.11 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”01.11″,”title”:”Summary”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 6 Jun 2023 06.48 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 5 Jun 2023 23.51 EDT”},{“id”:”647ebf128f08ebf1ed874956″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Russia’s destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine represents an “ecocide”, but national and regional officials are working to ensure the safety of local residents, the head of Ukraine’s presidential administration said on Tuesday.

“,”elementId”:”3e03eafe-2a73-4abf-a3e9-6885388bd53d”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Andriy Yermak wrote on Telegram that Russia’s actions also present a threat to the nearby Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, without elaborating

“,”elementId”:”d821ccbf-afd1-4701-9a5f-1fb606d155f1″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1686028050000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”01.07 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1686028080000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”01.08 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1686028080000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”01.08 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”01.08″,”title”:”Zelenskiy aide says Nova Kakhovka dam blast is ‘ecocide'”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 6 Jun 2023 06.48 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 5 Jun 2023 23.51 EDT”},{“id”:”647ebe5a8f08ebf1ed874955″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Since the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the Nova Kakhovka dam has been earmarked as a potential target for both its strategic importance – as well as the damage that its destruction would unleash. It was captured by Russia at the start of Moscow’s February 2022 invasion, and has been held by it ever since.

“,”elementId”:”8a562143-6499-4363-a6a8-b8303a94f2ec”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

In October, as Ukraine was in the midst of reclaiming large parts of occupied Kherson, president Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged the west to warn Russia not to blow up the dam, warning that it would flood a large area of southern Ukraine. At the time, he claimed that Russian forces had planted explosives inside the dam.

“,”elementId”:”d8804494-0ccb-4d22-b403-6430faf08e75″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Zelenskiy said “destroying the dam would mean a large-scale disaster,” and compared such an act to the use of weapons of mass destruction.

“,”elementId”:”1cbf406a-27ed-420e-90a6-939ef5df5105″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Ukraine military intelligence said “the scale of the ecological disaster [would] go far beyond the borders of Ukraine and affect the entire Black Sea region”.

“,”elementId”:”2cd599c0-adb5-4ac1-ab28-e252da0425c1″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

At the same time, Russia accused Kyiv of rocketing the dam and planning to destroy it.

“,”elementId”:”c1f16e3d-6a9c-47cf-af89-19b6b369a3f8″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

After Ukraine recaptured Kherson in November, images emerged of some significant damage to the dam. Russia had accused Ukraine of shelling the dam in its campaign to recapture Kherson.

“,”elementId”:”e8c5814b-6a4a-4f62-88c9-9728fd4ec063″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1686027866000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”01.04 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1686027986000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”01.06 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1686027987000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”01.06 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”01.06″,”title”:”Has the dam been threatened before?”,”contributors”:[{“name”:”Jonathan Yerushalmy”,”imageUrl”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2022/11/14/Jonathan_Yerushalmy.jpg?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=18205025822d313413c837a2ce11dce5″,”largeImageUrl”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2022/11/14/Jonathan_Yerushalmy.png?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=0ef42fa3eda9485f4721ffb3fbf890fe”}],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 6 Jun 2023 06.48 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 5 Jun 2023 23.51 EDT”},{“id”:”647ebbe98f08e2e6a7f95e15″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Ukraine’s National Security Council has announced that Zelenskiy will hold an emergency meeting over the dam blast.

“,”elementId”:”d68b6a62-6b0c-4fcd-938e-e07a028646b9″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1686027241000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”00.54 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1686027415000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”00.56 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1686027369000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”00.56 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”00.56″,”title”:”Zelenskiy to hold emergency meeting over dam flooding”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 6 Jun 2023 06.48 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 5 Jun 2023 23.51 EDT”},{“id”:”647eb84e8f08e2e6a7f95dfb”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Russian news agency Tass reports, citing emergency services, that 80 settlements may be affected by flooding.

“,”elementId”:”47744b68-0647-4aa8-9cf5-12cccc61d7bc”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The damage to the dam will also lead to problems with water supplies to Crimea, Tass cites the Moscow-installed mayor of Nova Kakhovka as saying.

“,”elementId”:”71603290-fd03-433c-a29f-a14ec7eb1845″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1686026318000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”00.38 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1686027640000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”01.00 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1686026382000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”00.39 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”00.39″,”title”:”80 settlements may be affected by flooding – Tass”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 6 Jun 2023 06.48 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 5 Jun 2023 23.51 EDT”},{“id”:”647eb5348f08ebf1ed87492a”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Ukraine’s National Police force are asking people in affected villages to evacuate.

“,”elementId”:”00be046d-7763-4a3b-be80-95bd20d622a0″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The Police said on Telegram a moment ago:

“,”elementId”:”fd6caff7-cd71-44ef-882a-6e5e2bf0b574″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement”,”html”:”

n

Units of the National Police and the State Emergency Service of the Kherson region were alerted to alert and evacuate the civilian population from potential flooding zones on the right bank of the Dnieper River, namely: the villages of Mykolaivka, Olhivka, Lyovo, Tyaginka, Poniativka, Ivanovka, Tokarivka, Poniativka, Prydniprovske, Sadove and partly the city of Kherson – Korabel Island.

n

The water level is rising and everyone who is in the danger zone must:

n

🔹turn off all electrical appliances

n

🔹take documents and essentials

n

🔹take care of loved ones and pets

n

🔹 follow the instructions of rescuers and policemen.

n

“,”elementId”:”ba318a74-aa2a-43e5-a657-6bbfedaf7899″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1686025524000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”00.25 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1686026976000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”00.49 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1686025622000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”00.27 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”00.27″,”title”:”National Police of Ukraine urge evacuations and for electrical appliances to be turned off”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 6 Jun 2023 06.48 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 5 Jun 2023 23.51 EDT”},{“id”:”647eb31a8f08ebf1ed87491e”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Here is a summary of what we know so far, via Reuters:

“,”elementId”:”0bd4fb1e-2e2b-4d0c-b9c1-8ba505adfa60″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

n

• A vast Soviet-era dam in the Russian controlled part of southern Ukraine was blown on Tuesday, unleashing a flood of water across the war zone, according to both Ukrainian and Russian forces. Both sides blamed the other for destroying the dam.

n

• The dam, 30 metres (yards) tall and 3.2 km (2 miles) long, was built in 1956 on the Dnieper river as part of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant. It holds a reservoir of about the same volume as the Great Salt Lake in Utah and also supplies water to the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014, and to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, which is also under Russian control.

n

• Ukraine’s military said that Russian forces blew up the dam. “The Kakhovka (dam) was blown up by the Russian occupying forces,” the South command of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said on Tuesday on its Facebook page. “The scale of the destruction, the speed and volumes of water, and the likely areas of inundation are being clarified.”

n

• Russian news agencies said the dam, controlled by Russian forces, had been destroyed in shelling while a Russian-installed official said it was a terrorist attack – Russian shorthand for an attack by Ukraine.

n

“,”elementId”:”51dfff4c-5a8b-438e-8ec4-1bd7b6ce4b54″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1686024986000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”00.16 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1686026905000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”00.48 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1686025119000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”00.18 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”00.18″,”title”:”Kakhovka dam flooding: what we know so far”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 6 Jun 2023 06.48 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 5 Jun 2023 23.51 EDT”},{“id”:”647eb20a8f08ebf1ed874919″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The dam traverses Ukraine’s enormous Dnieper River, holding back an enormous reservoir of water. The dam itself is 30 metres tall and hundreds of metres wide. It was built in 1956 as part of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant.

“,”elementId”:”16548519-fc94-41f9-b304-16d034c61103″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The enormous reservoir that it contains holds about the same volume as the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Bursting the dam could send a wall of water flooding settlements below it, including Kherson, which Ukrainian forces recaptured in late 2022.

“,”elementId”:”b81d2dc9-ead0-4726-b44b-68c5f14ec58b”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Water from the reservoir supplies the Crimean peninsula to the south – which was annexed by Russia in 2014 – as well as the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant – Europe’s largest – to the north.

“,”elementId”:”7db3d9e9-9002-4b27-aec0-79178f5038fe”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

It also helps power the Kakhovka hydro-electric plant. Destroying the dam would add to Ukraine’s ongoing energy problems, after Russia spent weeks earlier this year targeting vital infrastructure.

“,”elementId”:”a0003ac0-5841-479e-859f-4792b5e8cc15″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

It would also wreck the canal system that irrigates much of southern Ukraine, including Crimea.

“,”elementId”:”1403e66f-9240-4cbe-b311-e943f8563367″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1686024714000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”00.11 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1686026919000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”00.48 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1686024760000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”00.12 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”00.12″,”title”:”Why is Kakhovka Dam significant?”,”contributors”:[{“name”:”Jonathan Yerushalmy”,”imageUrl”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2022/11/14/Jonathan_Yerushalmy.jpg?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=18205025822d313413c837a2ce11dce5″,”largeImageUrl”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2022/11/14/Jonathan_Yerushalmy.png?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=0ef42fa3eda9485f4721ffb3fbf890fe”}],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 6 Jun 2023 06.48 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 5 Jun 2023 23.51 EDT”},{“id”:”647eafff8f08ebf1ed87490e”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The large Nova Kakhovka Dam in the Russia-controlled parts of the Kherson region in southern Ukraine was destroyed and the territory is flooding, Russian state news agency TASS reported on Tuesday, citing an unnamed source close to the matter.

“,”elementId”:”d87aa985-50af-4929-b311-27e320e8806f”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

A second state news agency RIA cited the Moscow-installed Mayor of Nova Kakhovka as saying that the upper part of the dam was destroyed by shelling.

“,”elementId”:”e0bdc97e-dd31-4596-bf6d-8b373ca5bfb7″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The mayor earlier denied that that the dam had been blown up. Tass then quoted him as saying that the destruction of the dam was a “serious terrorist act”.

“,”elementId”:”c2db6989-3ed0-4d7a-a639-66259f514757″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Neither Reuters nor the Guardian were able to independently verify the reports.

“,”elementId”:”c375f0dc-94e0-4f91-a832-56b0fe8ab1b4″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1686024191000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”00.03 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1686024386000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”00.06 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1686024386000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”00.06 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”00.06″,”title”:”Russian state news agencies report collapse of dam, flooding”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 6 Jun 2023 06.48 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 5 Jun 2023 23.51 EDT”},{“id”:”647eae728f08ebf1ed874907″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Oleksandr Prokudin, the head of the Kherson region, has posted a video to Telegram in which he says that as a result of the damage to the Nova Kahhovka dam, “water will reach a critical level in 5 hours” and that evacuations have begun.

“,”elementId”:”13953d59-8d8a-4f58-81c4-5fd9a3b10d97″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The translation of the video was obtained via Anton Gerashchenko, an advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.

“,”elementId”:”55076c55-5a90-4934-a6d6-a9d2e458590d”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Gerashchenko posted the video from Prokudin’s Telegram, with the text:

“,”elementId”:”6e328e10-dc00-4cdb-8020-3b4c6d14a6b3″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement”,”html”:”

n

The water will reach a critical level in 5 hours, the evacuation has begun – the head of Kherson OVA

n

As Alexander Prokudin reported, local residents have already begun to be evacuated from potential flood areas. He confirmed that the [Russians] had blown up the Kakhovskaya HPP and called for them to leave the dangerous places as soon as possible.

n

“,”elementId”:”efc4bbf3-b3ea-4f8e-8d10-6d0177e3314e”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1686023794000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”23.56 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1686024079000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”00.01 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1686024079000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”00.01 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”00.01″,”title”:”Head of Kherson region says ‘evacuations have begun'”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 6 Jun 2023 06.48 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 5 Jun 2023 23.51 EDT”},{“id”:”647ea5698f08ebf1ed8748ca”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The Nova Kakhovka dam in the Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine’s Kherson region was blown up by Russian forces, the South command of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said on Tuesday.

“,”elementId”:”43c80370-8674-4619-80b3-d7aa93b2b998″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

“The scale of the destruction, the speed and volumes of water, and the likely areas of inundation are being clarified,” the command said on its Facebook page.

“,”elementId”:”92e3418b-8abb-4640-a587-dabf3eb1b6f2″}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1686023479000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”23.51 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1686023527000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”23.52 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1686023528000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”23.52 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”23.52″,”title”:”Dam near Kherson blown up by Russian forces, Ukrainian military says”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 6 Jun 2023 06.48 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 5 Jun 2023 23.51 EDT”},{“id”:”647e6e588f0800788fac9f00″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Welcome back to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine. This is Helen Sullivan with the latest.

“,”elementId”:”decbbe8c-198c-405e-841d-9d3ad4ccdf8b”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

In breaking news: Ukraine’s Southern Military command has accused Russia of “blowing up” the Nova Kakhovka dam near Kherson, “likely” causing flooding. The Guardian has not been able to verify the claim.

“,”elementId”:”caa4967d-28d5-4190-a972-3ee4e2f0bb06″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Unverified video footage shared on social media on Tuesday morning appeared to show a large amount of water flowing out of the dam.

“,”elementId”:”fe4b235c-2c71-4e4f-b524-69cf5bea3099″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

The mayor of Nova Kahhovka, a city in Russia-controlled parts of the Ukrainian region of Kherson, denied social media reports that the dam was blown up, Russia’s state RIA news agency reported early on Tuesday.

“,”elementId”:”0f26cb0b-e79b-4a57-a6af-ff7a9d6dc977″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Russian and Ukrainian social media reported widely in early hours on Tuesday that the dam was destroyed. Neither Reuters nor the Guardian have been able to independently verify the reports.

“,”elementId”:”4226ede7-2080-4d93-9368-8af18b4e843e”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

We’ll have more information shortly.

“,”elementId”:”4ae1cc67-9824-417e-a270-b8a2a160ff21″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Here are the other key recent developments in the war:

“,”elementId”:”cd44a81f-1e44-40d4-b66e-becdbe6e4508″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

n

• Ukraine’s deputy defence minister has confirmed that in some areas Kyiv’s forces are moving to “offensive actions”, heightening speculation that a counteroffensive is close to launch.

n

• Russia claimed to have repelled a “major offensive” in the Donetsk region and to have killed hundreds of Ukrainian troops, but the claims could not be independently verified. The defence ministry in Moscow said Ukraine had attacked with six mechanised and two tank battalions from two brigades.

n

• The ministry claimed 250 Ukrainian troops had been killed, and 16 tanks, three infantry fighting vehicles and 21 armoured personnel carriers destroyed. It also claimed that Valery Gerasimov, the Russian chief of general staff, had been near the frontlines when the attack was repelled. The Russian defence ministry has consistently made exaggerated claims about the casualties its forces have inflicted.

n

• Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed on Monday what he called “the news we have been waiting for” from troops in Bakhmut, but gave no further details. “I am grateful to each soldier, to all our defenders, men and women, who have given us today the news we have been waiting for. Fine job, soldiers in the Bakhmut sector!” Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.

n

• The US imposed sanctions on members of a Russian intelligence-linked group for their role in Moscow’s efforts to destabilise democracy and influence elections in Moldova, the Treasury department said. The sanctions target seven individuals, several of whom maintain ties to Russian intelligence services, the department said. They include the group’s leader, Konstantin Prokopyevich Sapozhnikov, who organised the plot to destabilise the government of Moldova, which borders Ukraine, earlier this year.

n

• The British foreign secretary, James Cleverly, met with Zelenskiy in Kyiv. They discussed preparations for the Nato summit in Lithuania next month and Ukraine’s plan for ending Russia’s invasion. During the meeting, Cleverly said: “Ukraine will win this war and can count on our support.”

n

• Pavlo Kyrylenko, Ukraine’s governor of Donetsk, said three people were killed in the region yesterday as a result of Russian attacks.

n

• Two drones have fallen on the M3 Ukraine highway, in the Russian region of Kaluga, just south of Moscow, the region’s governor has said. There was no detonation and the sites have been cordoned off by investigators, said governor Vladislav Shapsha.

n

• Poland’s agriculture minister has received a draft regulation from the European Commission extending a ban on Ukrainian grain imports until 15 September, he said on Monday.

n

• Belgium will ask Ukraine for clarification on reports that rifles made in Belgium had been used by pro-Ukrainian forces to fight Russian troops inside Russia’s western border, Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo said on Monday.

n

“,”elementId”:”fb1f07c6-dc05-4c50-a717-ad3fce27332e”}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1686023479000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”23.51 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1686023477000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”23.51 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1686023479000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”23.51 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”23.51″,”title”:”Opening summary”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Tue 6 Jun 2023 06.48 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 5 Jun 2023 23.51 EDT”}],”filterKeyEvents”:false,”format”:{“display”:0,”theme”:0,”design”:10},”id”:”key-events-carousel-mobile”}”>

Key events

Show key events only

Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature

The Kremlin has accused Ukraine of sabotaging the Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro River, which sits in a Russian-occupied part of Ukraine, to distract attention from a supposedly “faltering” counteroffensive against Russian forces, Reuters reports.

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesperson, told reporters: “We can state unequivocally that we are talking about deliberate sabotage by the Ukrainian side.” He said Vladimir Putin had been briefed on the situation.

He said the destruction of the dam was intended to deprive Russian-controlled Crimea of the fresh water it receives from the reservoir through the North Crimean Canal, and to distract attention from the counteroffensive.

“Apparently, this sabotage is also connected with the fact that having started large-scale offensive actions two days ago, now the Ukrainian armed forces are not achieving their goals – these offensive actions are faltering.”

Asked about Ukrainian allegations that Russia had destroyed the dam, Peskov said: “We can strongly reject this. We officially declare that here we are definitely talking about deliberate sabotage from the Ukrainian side.”

Peskov said the sabotage could “potentially have very serious consequences for several tens of thousands of residents of the region”.

Kaja Kallas, the prime minister of Estonia, has called the blowing up of the Nova Kakhovka dam a war crime.

She said on Twitter that the “terrorist state Russia has now turned water into a weapon”.

“Destroying [Nova Kakhovka] dam is a war crime affecting countless civilians and bringing ecocide and mass destruction,” she said.

Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine’s national security and defence council, has called the blowing up of the Nova Kakhovka dam “a fundamentally new stage of Russian aggression”.

He said on Twitter that Russia had openly declared “its true goal – the destruction of Ukraine, killing Ukrainians, destroying the economy and life support structures.”

• The Ukrainian government has accused Russia of blowing up the Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro River, and called for people living downstream to evacuate in the face of catastrophic flooding. Ukrahydroenergo said the hydoelectric power plant at the dam had been blown up from the inside and was irreparable.

• The governor of the Kherson region, Oleksandr Prokudin, said about 16,000 people were in the “critical zone” on the Ukrainian-controlled right bank of the river. He said people were being evacuated for districts upstream of Kherson city and would be taken by bus to the city and then by train to Mykolaiv, and to other Ukrainian cities including Khmelnytskyi, Odesa, Kropyvnytskyi and Kyiv.

• Occupying Russian authorities in the town of Nova Kakhovka initially denied anything had happened to the dam, then blamed the collapse on Ukrainian shelling. Vladimir Leontyev told the Tass news agency it was a serious terrorist act and a catastrophe, which “was created by the Ukrainian authorities and those who govern them”. Leontyev said part of the town had been disconnected from power supplies for safety reasons, and about 300 houses had been evacuated.

• The areas most under threat of flooding are the islands along the course of the Dnipro downstream of Nova Kakhovka and much of the Russian-held left bank in southern Kherson. Earlier modelling of such a disaster suggested Kherson city would not take the brunt of the flood, but the harbour, the docklands and an island in the south of the city are likely to be inundated. It is unclear how many people could lose their homes. Andrey Alekseyenko, one of the Russian-installed officials in occupied Kherson, has posted to Telegram to say that up to 22,000 people are in the flood plains in Russian-controlled territory.

• Denys Sukhanov, a humanitarian volunteer who works in the Ukrainian-controlled Kherson territory, told the broadcaster Suspilne that “Kherson urgently needs people who will perform the duties of volunteers to coordinate actions at evacuation points, receiving people, boarding buses, resettlement and feeding.”

• There seems to be no immediate safety threat to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant from the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam 200km downstream, according to Ukrainian and UN experts. Water from the reservoir affected by the destruction of the dam is used to supply the plant’s cooling systems.

• Ukraine’s foreign affairs minister, Dmytro Kuleba, called the destruction of the dam “probably Europe’s largest technological disaster in decades” and a “heinous war crime”.

• The British foreign secretary, James Cleverly, who is in Ukraine, blamed the destruction on Russia’s invasion. “I’ve heard reports of the explosion on the dam and the risk of flooding. It’s too early to make any kind of meaningful assessment of the details. But it’s worth remembering that the only reason this is an issue at all is because of Russia’s unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine,” he said.

• The dam traverses Ukraine’s enormous Dnipro River, holding back a huge reservoir of water. The dam is 30 metres tall and hundreds of metres wide. It was built in 1956 as part of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant. Water from the reservoir supplies the Crimean peninsula to the south, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.

• Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has suggested that the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam was the fault of “Russian terrorists”. Zelenskiy said in a post on Twitter, “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 metre should be left to them, because they use every metre for terror.”

Here is an updated report from our video team on the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam.

The chief of the UN’s atomic agency, Rafael Grossi, has issued a statement about the Nova Kakhovka dam destruction and its potential impact on nuclear safety at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP).

He said a planned visit to the plant would go ahead next week, and called on both sides in the conflict to do nothing to further endanger safety at the plant, drawing particular attention to the on-site cooling pond.

The IAEA’s director general said:

The IAEA staff on the site have been informed that the damage to the Nova Kakhovka dam is currently leading to about 5cm/hour reduction in the height of the reservoir.

The main line of cooling water is fed from the reservoir and pumped up through channels near the thermal power plant to the site. It is estimated that the water through this route should last for a few days.

Water in the reservoir was at around 16.4 metres at 8am. If it drops below 12.7 metres then it can no longer be pumped.

The ZNPP is making all efforts to pump as much water into its cooling channels and related systems as possible. In addition, non-essential consumers of water are being stopped at ZNPP to reduce the consumption of water.

ZNPP management is discussing further measures to be implemented.

There are a number of alternative sources of water.

A main one is the large cooling pond next to the site that by design is kept above the height of the reservoir. As the reactors have been shut down for many months, it is estimated that this pond will be sufficient to provide water for cooling for some months. The agency will confirm this very shortly.

It is therefore vital that this cooling pond remains intact. Nothing must be done to potentially undermine its integrity. I call on all sides to ensure nothing is done to undermine that.

My trip to ZNPP next week was planned and now it is essential. I will go.

The destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine will not prevent Ukrainian troops from advancing, Reuters reports a senior Ukrainian commander said on Tuesday.

“As for preventing our offensive actions, the military command has taken into full account such treacherous enemy actions, and it should not prevent our advance in those directions where there may be spillage of water,” Serhiy Naev, commander of the joint forces of the armed forces of Ukraine, was quoted as saying by the state news agency Ukrinform.

While attention has understandably focused on the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam, clear-up operations have also been carried out in Kharkiv after a Russian strike.

Dan Sabbagh, our defence and security editor, offers this analysis of the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam:

Although it remains not yet confirmed exactly how the dam was blown, it is the Russian military who, cynically, would probably think they have the most to gain.

Ukraine will have to deal with a destroyed dam plus the long-term environmental and humanitarian consequences. Experts fear it will wipe out islands in the delta and low-lying settlements, mostly on the southern bank. There are about 16,000 people estimated to be in the critical zone on the Ukrainian side of the river. Such predictable impacts mean it is likely to be a war crime, as defined in the Geneva conventions, if its breach causes “release of dangerous forces and consequent severe losses” to civilians.

If it is the case, as initially reported, that water levels have been built up to a 30-year high in recent weeks, that could suggest a degree of forethought that would only bolster a future legal case.

The obvious military point is that Russia feared an amphibious attack across the Dnipro delta. Some of Ukraine’s armed forces have been receiving marine training from the UK, suggesting that, at the very least, Kyiv wanted to keep the option open of trying what would have been a relative risky attack that, if successful, could have opened up the option of a more direct strike towards Crimea – or diverting Russian forces away from the southern front further east in Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions.

Russian defensive positions downstream, as mapped from satellite imagery, have already been concentrated on higher ground. The breach of the dam is an uncertain event, and it will take some days before it is clear where the new river line will be – and whether the fortifications are in appropriate positions.

Widening the Dnipro River from hundreds of metres to several kilometres makes the task of crossing in strength all the harder at the delta. Russia still has its air force available to make a river crossing difficult, and as the battle for Kherson in November showed, it is difficult to keep a bridgehead across the country’s central river supplied.

However, it is also the case that the river is likely to narrow upstream, south of Zaporizhzhia. That may also create some military opportunities for Kyiv. What is certain is that as with the impact on civilians and the environment, all the consequences are some way from being played out.

Russia blew up the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine to prevent Ukrainian forces from crossing the Dnipro River, the spokesperson for Ukraine’s southern military command said on Tuesday.

“This is a hysterical reaction,” Natalia Humeniuk told an online briefing, Reuters reports. “They were aware that the movement of the defence forces would take place, and in this way tried to influence the defence forces so that the crossing of the [river], which they feared, would not happen.”

There are limited crossing points over the river. Ukraine holds the right bank, to the north, while Russia continues to occupy the left bank and the south of Kherson oblast.

A state of emergency has been declared by local Moscow-backed authorities in the Nova Kakhovka district of the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine’s Kherson region after the dam breach, Reuters reports, citing Tass.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has criticised the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam, tweeting:

The destruction of the Kakhovka dam puts thousands of civilians in danger, leaving many with no homes and in dire humanitarian need. Civilians and civilian infrastructure are not a target.

Its social media team are maybe not entirely in lockstep with that of its parent organisation UN, which has run into vocal social media criticism for earlier using Twitter to promote today as “Russian Language Day”.

The Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko was among those to reply to the tweet, asking: “Do you want to write anything about the explosion of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station? Or will you celebrate the Russian language day?”

The British foreign secretary, James Cleverly, is in Ukraine, where he has been visiting the Halo Trust in the Kyiv region, an NGO that works in demining.

Our community team are asking for your witness reports of the aftermath of the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam if you live in the region. Details of how to contact them can be found here:

Volodymyr Zelenskiy has posted details from the emergency national council meeting (NSDC) this morning to respond to the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam. Ukraine’s president posted to Telegram to say:

I held an urgent meeting of the national security council.

Overnight [at] 02.50am, Russian terrorists carried out an internal detonation of the structures of the Kakhovskaya HPP [hydroelectric power plant]. About 80 settlements are in the flooding zone.

It was ordered to carry out evacuation from risk areas and to provide drinking water to all cities and villages that were supplied with water from the Kakhovsky reservoir.

We do everything to save people. All services, military, government, are involved.

At the NSDC meeting, a set of international and security measures was agreed upon to hold Russia accountable for this terrorist attack.

The Moldovan president, Maia Sandu, has condemned the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam and offered Moldova’s support. She tweeted:

I strongly condemn the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam this morning. Russia’s targeting of critical infrastructure amounts to war crimes. President Zelenskiy, we stand ready to provide assistance in response to the floods and support efforts to mitigate the impact.

The Russian military is shelling Kherson with artillery, while the population is being evacuated in the city, the ministry of internal affairs reported. Two police officers received shrapnel wounds, Suspilne, Ukraine’s state broadcaster, reports.

The claims have not been independently verified.