The Kakhovka dam in Ukraine was bombed, causing a humanitarian disaster.

On June 6, the dam in Nova Kakhovka, a port city in Kherson Oblast in southern Ukraine, was bombed and burst, causing a humanitarian disaster. Ukrainian Prime Minister Shmyhal stated on June 7 that this was “one of the most serious environmental disasters in Europe in decades.” Russia and Ukraine blamed each other for being the mastermind behind the scenes, and various parties condemned the heinous act of bombing the dam.

The Kakhovka dam is located at the southernmost end of the Dnieper River. The flood caused by the bursting of the dam forced thousands of downstream residents to evacuate urgently, and the drinking water supply of hundreds of thousands of people was affected. Serhiy Kulibaba, deputy chief of staff to the President of Ukraine, said that the water levels in 17 settlements had reached their peak, with a total population of 16,000 people.

Mykhailo Prokopuk, governor of the Kherson Oblast, said that the water level in some areas of Kherson had reached 5.34 meters, but the rising trend had slowed down. Ukraine estimated that the floods caused by the bursting of the Kakhovka Dam affected about 42,000 people. Ukrainian President Zelensky said that hundreds of thousands of people could not get drinking water normally because of this incident. Experts estimate that it may take decades to recover from the related losses and impacts.

Zelensky accused Russia of attacking the dam and detonating a “weapon of mass environmental destruction,” urging the world to respond. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu accused Ukraine of destroying the dam to relocate its troops and equipment defending Kherson to other parts of the front line to aid its counterattack.
German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer stated on June 7 that “this is an obvious war crime, an incredible act of violence and destruction. I used to think that even Putin couldn’t do this.” German Chancellor Angela Merkel directly pointed out that Russia destroyed the dam, calling it “the latest of the countless crimes committed by Russian soldiers we have seen in Ukraine.”

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Zelensky on June 7 and condemned the bombing of the dam as a “shameful act of attacking civilian facilities,” and said that France would provide emergency humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

The White House stated that it cannot draw conclusions about the reason for the damage to the southern Ukrainian dam, but is evaluating reports that the explosion was caused by Russia. Although there is no conclusion yet on who is behind the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam, most people believe that it is the result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said, “This is a heinous act that once again highlights Russia’s cruelty in the war in Ukraine.” British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said, “We should remember that the only reason all of this happened is because Russia launched a full-scale aggression against Ukraine without provocation. Russia had better withdraw immediately.” Michael Kofman, director of Russian studies at the Arlington Research Center CNA, said, “No one ultimately benefits from this disaster, and Russia bears responsibility because it controls the dam, and its actions in Ukraine somehow led to this result.”