Evacuations begin after a major dam in southern Ukraine is heavily damaged

Evacuations are underway after the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine was heavily damaged, with both Russia and Ukraine accusing each other of causing the destruction.

Situation unfolding: Ukraine accused Russian forces of blowing up the dam, while Russian officials alleged that Ukrainian military strikes caused the damage.
* Ukrainian authorities ordered the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of residents downriver.
* The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, situated upstream, is at potential risk, although the situation is currently “controllable.”

Possible consequences: The failure of the Kakhovka dam could unleash 18 million cubic meters (4.8 billion gallons) of water, flood Kherson and dozens of downriver areas, and threaten the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
* The U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency stated there was “no immediate nuclear safety risk” at the facility.

Current response: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called an emergency meeting to address the crisis, while authorities urged residents to evacuate and be cautious of potential disinformation.
* Ukraine controls five of the six dams along the Dnipro River, which is crucial for the country’s drinking water and power supply.

View original article on NPR

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