Kakhovskaya dam collapsed afteran explosion: Urgent evacuation of the residents of the region and the exchange of accusations between Russia and Ukraine

The Southern Operations Command of the Ukrainian army announced that Russian forces had blown up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station in the city of Kherson.

The command said, “The occupying Russian forces blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station… The extent of the damage, speed and water level, and possibly flooding areas, are currently being assessed… All services are working… The situation is being monitored,” according to the Ukrainian national Ukrinform news agency.

On the other hand, Vladimir Leontyev, mayor of Novaya Kakhovka, confirmed that the upper part of the dam was destroyed as a result of an attack.

He added that although many of the flood gates of the dam were damaged, and the water was released without control, the structure of the dam below the water managed to survive the attack, and the area was immediately evacuated from the population.

As a result of what Leontiev called a “terrorist act,” the water level rose by about 2.5 meters, explaining that there is no need to evacuate citizens now.

Moscow had accused Kiev more than once of launching attacks on the Kakhovskaya Dam, warning that any violation could lead to a catastrophe and result in the death of thousands of civilians.

Ukraine also accuses Russia of planning to blow up the dam, in an operation aimed at portraying Kiev as carrying out the attack.

Oleksey Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, said on Twitter on Tuesday, that President Volodymyr Zelensky will hold an emergency meeting regarding the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka Dam in the south of the country.

In addition, the Russian Tass news agency quoted a Moscow-backed official in the Zaporizhia region as saying on Tuesday, that there is no major danger so far to the Zaporizhia nuclear plant due to the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam.