Fears for Nuclear plant as Russia blamed for attack on dam

In Russian-controlled Ukraine, a dam has been attacked leading to fears for thousands of innocent civilians and also the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

On Tuesday, June 6, the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine was attacked which has led to extensive flooding and may put the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant at risk, according to the Financial Times.  

As yet, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack with Russia and Ukraine pinning the blame on each other. Outlying settlements are on high alert as is the nuclear plant for which water supply is critical in cooling its reactors.

The Governor of Ukraine’s Kherson region, Oleksandr Prokudyn, claimed that Russian forces have blown up the dam, leading to the evacuation of numerous Ukrainian settlements along the Dnipro River.

Prokudyn went on to explain that the situation could become critical by 11 am today, with local media reporting that certain areas of Kherson were already in flood this morning.

The Ukraine government held an emergency security council meeting headed by President Zelenskyy and blamed ‘Russian terrorists’ for the emergency.

A spokesperson for Ukraine’s State Agency for Restoration warned of the knock-on effects that the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station would have on the nuclear plant which also relies on the same reservoir to cool its nuclear reactors.

A statement from the International Atomic Energy Agency said they were keeping a close eye on the situation and added there was ‘no immediate nuclear safety risk at plant.’

The dam was built in 1956 and together with its hydroelectric power station, made up one of Ukraine’s main energy resources. Recently both Russia and Ukraine have continued to point the finger at one another of attacking the dam and both power stations.

Charles Michel, of the EU Council tweeted: ‘The destruction of civilian infrastructure clearly qualifies as a war crime, and we will hold Russia and its proxies accountable.’