Collapse of major dam in southern Ukraine triggers emergency as Moscow and Kyiv blame each other

[dalton99a]

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-kakhovka-dam-flood-evacuation-eecc9952c2d9f500c38b0a873f69438c

Collapse of major dam in southern Ukraine triggers emergency as Moscow and Kyiv blame each other
By SUSIE BLANN

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The wall of a major dam in a part of southern Ukraine that Moscow controls collapsed Tuesday, triggering floods, endangering Europe’s largest nuclear power plant and threatening drinking water supplies as both sides in the war rushed to evacuate residents and blamed each other for the emergency.

Ukraine accused Russian forces of blowing up the Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric power station on the Dnieper River, while Russian officials blamed Ukrainian military strikes in the contested area. It was not possible to verify the claims.

The potentially far-reaching environmental and social consequences of the disaster quickly became clear as homes, streets and businesses flooded downstream and emergency crews began evacuations; officials raced to check cooling systems at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant; and authorities expressed concern about supplies of drinking water to the south in Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.

The dam break added a stunning new dimension to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, now in its 16th month. Ukrainian forces were widely seen to be moving forward with a long-anticipated counteroffensive in patches along more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) of frontline in the east and south of Ukraine.

It was not immediately clear whether either side benefits from the damage to the dam, since both Russian-controlled and Ukrainian-held lands are at risk of flooding. The damage could also hinder Ukraine’s counteroffensive in the south and distract its government, while at the same time Russia depends on the dam to supply water to Crimea.

[Lovie777]

1. It's Russia's doing........

They planted the mines. Further there are hundreds of mines along the path of the flooding which are concurrently exploding where residents are. Cities and towns which obtained "fresh" waters from the damn is screwed. Many of them are without
'fresh" water now, and Crimea is subject to the same faith.

Read that Russia did this, and of course they are in the opinion that they could be losing Crimea and areas around their prized win.

[2naSalit]

2. That's their MO...

Wipe everything out, especially if they are losing.

[womanofthehills]

4. NYTs - "not immediately clear who caused damage"

A critical dam on the Dnipro River in southern Ukraine was split in half overnight Tuesday, posing significant risks to the safety of a nearby nuclear power plant and surrounding communities. It was not immediately clear who caused the damage.

Ukrainian officials on Tuesday began evacuating thousands of residents living downstream from the dam in the Kherson region as huge volumes of water gushed from the dam’s reservoir, with flooding expected to reach dangerous levels within hours.

The dam is near the front line of the war.

Videos of the dam, in the town of Nova Kakhovka, reviewed by The New York Times do not reveal what caused the destruction. But they do show a significant amount of water flowing freely through the dam, indicating the severe damage.

Located near the front line of the war in the southern Kherson region, the barrier and nearby infrastructure have been damaged throughout the war. Last year, Russian forces took control of the dam and a nearby hydroelectric plant. Satellite imagery showed new damage to a bridge next to the dam days before Tuesday’s destruction.https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/06/world/europe/ukraine-dam-explainer.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

[niyad]

5. WTAF???? I was about to ask, what is WRONG with nyt, but that answered

my question.

[NotVeryImportant]

6. I agree.

Although I don't have any facts to prove it, it's pretty crystal clear.

It certainly isn't a coincidence.

[leftyladyfrommo]

3. There's not going to be anything left worth saving. nt

[maxsolomon]

7. One of the scenarios I was most concerned about.

That means the entire massive reservoir is going to drain.

Could be strategic, to thwart any Ukrainian offensive crossing the Dneiper below the dam. Certainly destroying the bridge adjacent to the dam was essential for the Russians, as destroying others was essential to Ukraine's defense.

I think I read the target of the offensive was likely the isthmus connecting to Crimea. Cut off Crimea's water, cut off Russia's supply route to the south.

[Tennessee Hillbilly]

8. Parts of Crimea are already without fresh water

Quotes From:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/6/6/2173589/-Parts-of-Crimea-are-already-without-water

My acquaintances in Crimea (Russian-annexed since 2014) are telling me that in Yevpatoria the local media are running a public service announcement to fill bathtubs, etc. with water — it may be cut off in the afternoon. Kerch is without water already.

Most of Crimea’s fresh water came from the Nova Kakhovka Dam reservoir. This reservoir now has been destroyed, most likely by Russian troops from the 205th Armored Infantry Brigade. Whoever ordered the charges (which had been planted well in advance) to be blown must fully expect Russia to lose Crimea.

Note: At the end of this report its author says:
Sorry — cannot identify my sources in Russian-occupied areas — too risky for them.

[maxsolomon]

9. I suspect retaking Crimea is not on the agenda for this offensive.

Cutting it off from the South of the Dneiper likely is.

I'm not sure where I'd attack if I were Ukraine - the Dneiper is a huge obstacle.

[Xolodno]

10. Interestingly, this news drowns out some other important stuff...

Exclusive: Ukraine has cultivated sabotage agents inside Russia and is giving them drones to stage attacks, sources say

Ukraine has cultivated a network of agents and sympathizers inside Russia working to carry out acts of sabotage against Russian targets and has begun providing them with drones to stage attacks, multiple people familiar with US intelligence on the matter told CNN.

US officials believe these pro-Ukrainian agents inside Russia carried out a drone attack that targeted the Kremlin in early May by launching drones from within Russia rather than flying them from Ukraine into Moscow.

It is not clear whether other drone attacks carried out in recent days – including one targeting a residential neighborhood near Moscow and another strike on oil refineries in southern Russia – were also launched from inside Russia or conducted by this network of pro-Ukrainian operatives.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/05/politics/ukraine-sabotage-agents-russia-drone-attacks/index.html

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U.S. had intelligence of detailed Ukrainian plan to attack Nord Stream pipeline

Three months before saboteurs bombed the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline, the Biden administration learned from a close ally that the Ukrainian military had planned a covert attack on the undersea network, using a small team of divers who reported directly to the commander in chief of the Ukrainian armed forces.

Details about the plan, which have not been previously reported, were collected by a European intelligence service and shared with the CIA in June 2022. They provide some of the most specific evidence to date linking the government of Ukraine to the eventual attack in the Baltic Sea, which U.S. and Western officials have called a brazen and dangerous act of sabotage on Europe’s energy infrastructure.

The European intelligence reporting was shared on the chat platform Discord, allegedly by Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira. The Washington Post obtained a copy from one of Teixeira’s online friends.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/06/06/nord-stream-pipeline-explosion-ukraine-russia/

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White House: US cannot say conclusively what happened with Ukrainian dam

WASHINGTON, June 6 (Reuters) - The White House on Tuesday said it could not say conclusively what caused the destruction of a massive dam in Ukraine, but was assessing reports that the blast was caused by Russia, which has been occupying the dam since last year.

Spokesman John Kirby said it was clear that the destruction of the dam on the Dnipro River that separates Russian and Ukrainian forces in southern Ukraine had likely caused "many deaths" and the evacuation of thousands of Ukrainians.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/white-house-us-cannot-conclusively-173709095.html

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Something is up.....