Will Crimea be left without water? Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station destroyed
Last night, Ukraine hit the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station dam. All structures that were above the water were destroyed.
The Mayor of Novaya Kakhovka, Vladimir Leontyev, reported this, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“About 2 o’clock in the morning, a number of numerous attacks were carried out on the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station, which destroyed the shonors, which is what the common people call the valves. As a result, water from the Kakhovka reservoir began to be discharged uncontrollably downstream. What is the current situation? The water has risen to the level - not reaching Dneprovsky Avenue, which indicates that there is no need for evacuation yet. But we are all at work and preparing for the worst consequences, but we hope that they will not happen,” Leontyev said.
And the chairman of the government of the Kherson region, Andrei Alekseenko, claims that the situation is under control.
“There is no threat to people’s lives. Employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and authorities monitor the water level in the river. If necessary, we are ready to evacuate residents of coastal villages; buses have been prepared. I went to the site to quickly monitor the situation. I ask citizens to trust only official information,” Alekseenko said.
The Telegram channel of the Rybar project, led by military analyst Mikhail Zvinchuk, describes the current situation.
“At night, the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station was partially destroyed. Officials are confused in the testimony: they either talk about an explosion, or destruction as a result of the explosion, or the cumulative effect of previous fire impacts. 11 of 28 spans were destroyed. Restoration will require serious efforts and almost capital construction. But at the same time, the main “ridge” of the dam is intact, and now we are seeing the “overflow” of water through the destroyed area. Water is draining from the reservoir at a rate of 15 cm per hour.
The islands and the gray zone in the Dnieper basin were in the flooding zone. Ukrainian formations are trying to evacuate from the islands; Russian units are firing at them. In addition, up to 300 houses in Dnepryany and Korsunka may be flooded. In Novaya Kakhovka, the water reached the coastal street. There is no mass evacuation. There is currently no threat to the Zaporozhye Zaporozhye Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant: reserve water supply measures are provided for the facilities in case of such disasters.
Ukrainian propaganda places the blame on Russia, accusing the Russian Federation of wanting to create a disaster in Zaporozhye and the Dnepropetrovsk region,” writes Rybar.
Potential Flood Map.
At the same time, Vladimir Rogov, a member of the Chief Military Council of the Zaporozhye region, wrote in his blog that the dam collapsed not because of today’s attacks, but could not withstand the destruction caused earlier.
“According to my information, no one blew it up (there were no explosions, people say, the Ukrainian Armed Forces artillery threw some shells later). This is all a consequence of previous injuries! The dam simply could not withstand the damage and the pressure of the water. The islands are already starting to be flooded, the population is being evacuated,” notes Rogov.
According to military observer Yuri Podolyaki, a “new military-geographical situation” will eventually emerge in the region.
“To begin with, taking into account the fact that our left bank is flat, it is in front of us that there will be a huge gray zone on which, after the bottom of the reservoir dries out, the enemy can land. Yes, this is associated with a lot of problems, but much less than if they had the surface of a reservoir in front of them.
This is especially important in the area where the front adjoins the reservoir on the left bank (now the Dnieper).
The question of the future fate of Zaporizhzhya NPP is also acute. Its reactors are cooled from a special reservoir. But as far as I know, this same reservoir will be full even without the water of the Kakhovka Reservoir (this option was envisaged by Soviet builders). But here we need expert commentary.
Well, the most obvious thing, perhaps. The North Crimean Canal will now dry up for a long time,” Podolyaka believes.
However, the authorities of Nova Kakhovka denied reports of a threat to the peninsula’s water supply:
“There is no threat of dewatering of the North Crimean Canal, the head station of the SCC is located above the dam.”
Advisor to the head of the office of the President of Ukraine Daria Zalivna claims that the Russians are in this way trying to disrupt the offensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
According to the official, Crimea will be left without water and problems will be created for water cooling of reactors at the Zaporizhia NPP.
Later, a statement appeared from the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky.
“Russian terrorists by destroying the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station dam only confirm to the whole world that they need to be expelled from every corner of Ukrainian soil. Not a single meter can be left to them, because they use every meter for terror. Only a victory for Ukraine will restore security. And this victory will be. Terrorists will not be able to stop Ukraine either with water, missiles, or anything else.
All services are working. Convened the National Security and Defense Council. Please disseminate only official and verified information,” says Zelensky’s official public pages.
At the same time, the representative of the Kyiv regime, the head of the no longer existing Kherson “region” Alexandra Samoilenko, the peak of flooding after the destruction of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station dam is expected at 11 o’clock Kiev time. According to him, the water has already passed through the dam “half of the way.”
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