Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of planning to blow up a dam at a hydroelectric plant in southern Ukraine, this could cause a large-scale calamity. According to Ukrainian information, Russian soldiers had already mined the Kakhovka dam on the Dnieper River.
Why is this controversial?
Russia denies this and accuses Ukraine of firing missiles at the dam to blow it up and cause flooding.
According to the Institute for the Study of War, an independent US think tank, Russia is “likely continuing to prepare for a false flag attack” on the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant by creating the conditions that will make it possible for them to blow up the dam after leaving Kherson and then accuse Ukraine of causing the resultant flooding.
On Thursday, President Zelensky reminded EU leaders that Russia has already destroyed more than a third of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in order to cause as many issues with electricity and heating as possible during the winter months. For the first time since the Russian invasion began, Ukrainians have been encouraged to consume less energy, with nationwide usage limits in effect between 07:00 and 22:00.
A dirty scheme
Mr. Zelensky warned that destroying the Kakhovka dam would ruin the water supply to most of the south and leave Europe’s largest nuclear facility in Zaporizhzhia without cooling water.
The Ukrainian leader further stated that if the dam is destroyed, the North Crimean Canal will just vanish and more than 80 communities, including Kherson, will be flooded. Hundreds of thousands of people will also be at risk.
The danger there
A dam explosion would cause a 5m-high tsunami to wipe out all villages along the Dnieper River at a rate of 25km/h. It was predicted that the water would hit Kherson city within two hours and flood broad areas over three days.
However, this looks like the dam mining was all part of a “Surovikin strategy” that involved flooding areas to halt Ukraine’s counter-offensive. If the Russians genuinely considered blowing up the Kakhovka dam, it means they would lose control of the entire south which they occupy parts, including Crimea.
So will they blow up the dam or give up?