Alternate categories exchange Russia and Ukraine after the blowing up the Kahovka Dam in its eastern Ukrainian region Khersonone of the most serious disasters since its inception war in Ukraine.

Hundreds of homes are being evacuated as the water level has risen at more than 11 meters (36 feet) in the city of Nova Kahovka, which has been declared a state of emergency, according to Russian state news agency Tass, the Dnieper River has been contaminated with 150 tons of industrial oils, according to the Ukrainian president’s office, Volodymyr Zelensky while there is danger for him as well Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.

Homes are being evacuated even in parts of the city of Kherson that are about 85 kilometers (52 miles) from the dam. The water level in the Kakhovka reservoir is dropping by 35 centimeters per hour, said Vladimir Rogov, an appointed official in the Moscow-controlled part of Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region.

Map of the areas affected by the floods

Ukraine

Satellite image from BBC Verify, testifies to the size of the disaster which is huge. The image below shows the extensive damage to the central part of the dam and a section of the hydroelectric station building on the east bank of the river.

river

Danger to the Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant

Blowing up the giant Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine, located in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine’s Kherson region, could release 18.2 billion cubic meters of water, Bild newspaper reports. The governor of the Zaporizhia region, Yevgeny Balitsky, warns that the water level has risen above 11 meters in Nova Kahovka.

He also pointed out that some residents of the city were taken to the hospital after the dam burst. At the same time, he pointed out that the water level near the Russian-controlled Zaporizhia nuclear power plant has dropped by 2.5 meters – and is expected to drop as much as 7 meters.

Barrier

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog said a lack of cooling water at the nuclear plant – located about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the Kakhovka dam – could disrupt emergency diesel generators.

Russia launches investigation

Russia’s Investigative Committee, which investigates serious crimes, says it has already opened a criminal investigation into the explosion at the dam.

The alleged attack on the Russian-controlled town of Nova Kahovka was condemned by both Russia and Ukraine, with both countries blaming each other for the massive disaster.

For its part, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine requested an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council after the damage caused to the dam. The ministry claims the damage is the result of a “Russian terrorist attack” and that the Kremlin should face new international sanctions.

Kiev’s allies have strongly condemned the attack. However, Russia claimed the dam breach was a “deliberate act of sabotage” by Ukraine.