The Kakhovskaya hydroelectric dam in Kherson Region, located on the Dnieper River upstream from the city of Kherson, suffered significant damage on Tuesday morning, according to a local official and several videos shared on social media.
The upper part of the key infrastructure was “destroyed as a result of a strike,” the mayor of Novaya Kakhovka, Vladimir Leontyev, confirmed to RIA Novosti. While several of the dam’s floodgates were damaged and unleashed an uncontrolled stream of water, the underwater structure itself withstood the attack, the official claimed.
Leontyev described the incident as a major “terrorist act” and said the water level downstream had risen by up to 2.5 meters, but added there was no need for evacuations thus far. He noted that the area has seen higher water levels during previous floods caused by heavy rainfall, but emphasized that local officials were focused on helping citizens as they prepare for a worst-case scenario.
The dam was reportedly struck around 2am local time. A video captured from a drone has circulated on Telegram purporting to show the aftermath of the attack, with water seen flowing through the breach.
"The Kakhovka HPP was blown up by the Russian occupying forces. The scale of the destruction, the speed and volume of water, the probable areas of flooding are currently being established. All services are working. The situation is being monitored", Ukraine’s Operational Center South said in a statement.
"As of now, we understand that about 16,000 people are in the disaster area on the right bank of the Dnipro River," Oleksandr Prokudin, Head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, said during the United News telethon.
According to him, a separate headquarters has been created in each territorial community which is responsible for its territory.
"On the night of June 6, Russian occupation forces blew up the Kakhovka HPP. As an engine room was blown up from the inside, the Kakhovka HPP was completely destroyed. The plant cannot be restored. As of 09:00 on June 6, the water level in the Kakhovka Reservoir is rapidly decreasing, the evacuation of people from potential flood risk areas has begun," the press service of PJSC Ukrhydroenergo hydro power generating company reports.
“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 Ukraine's victory that will return security. And this victory will come,” the President posted on Telegram and released a video showing the explosion consequences.