The hydroelectric dam Kakhovkalocated in the region of Russian-occupied Kherson, exploded in Ukraine on Tuesday evening as a result of an attack whose authorship is not yet known. Several towns in the area remained “fully or partially flooded”the Ukrainian authorities said.

The Kakhovka dam, taken since the beginning of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, allows water supply to the Crimean peninsulaannexed by Moscow in 2014.

After the incident Moscow accused Ukraine of sabotaging the dam and causing the attackwhile Ukraine defended itself by blaming Moscow for the destruction of its dam on the southern side of the conflict.

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Ukrainian forces carried out “multiple attacks” on the Kakhovka dam, Moscow-appointed mayor of the Nova Kakhovka Municipality, Vladimir Leontiev, told Telegram.

Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to the Ukrainian presidency, instead said that “the goal of the terrorists is clear: to create obstacles to the offensive actions of the armed forces” of Ukraine.

Thousands of residents evacuate

While both conflicting countries accused each other, began the evacuation of approximately 17,000 residents of Kherson. According to Ukrainian Interior Minister Igor Klymenko, twenty-four towns were flooded after the attack on Tuesday.

“Until now24 cities in Ukraine are flooded. The Ministry of the Interior has already evacuated about 1,000 people. The evacuation continues,” he told Ukrainian television.

According to Ukrainian Attorney General Andrii Kostin, more than 40,000 people could be in flooded areas. “Ukrainian authorities are evacuating more than 17,000 people. Unfortunately, more than 25,000 civilians in the area are under Russian control,” he tweeted.

Image of flooding in New Kakhovka, an occupied city where a government has been installed by Moscow Photo: EFE/Nova Kakhovka City District Administration/United24

international responses

The United Nations Human Rights Office called to investigate the attack on the new Kakhovka dam in Ukraine and establish its authorship. “Major floods are already seriously affecting many citizens and their rights to housing, health, livelihoods, the environment, health and access to clean water,” the agency said. said in his tweet.

He added that this fact contributes to the suffering of the population during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In recent hours, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned that the destruction of this infrastructure is a violation of international law, which specifically protects this type of infrastructure.

The general secretary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)Jens Stoltenberg also denounced the “cruelity” of Russia’s war in Ukraine on Tuesday.

“The destruction of the Kajovka dam today endangers thousands of citizens and causes serious environmental damage. This is an outrageous act, which once again demonstrates the brutality of Russia’s war in Ukraine,” Stoltenberg tweeted.