Consequences of the dam break
On June 6, Acting Governor of Zaporizhia province said that the destruction of the hydropower dam near the city of Novaya Kakhovka in Russia-controlled Kherson province affected local agriculture and could impact operations at Europe's largest Zaporizhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP).
Balitsky said the water level in the reservoir near the ZNPP has fallen by 2.5 meters and could fall further. We expect the drop to be even greater, up to 7 meters, he told Russia 24 TV. Water is important for cooling reactors and used fuel at the facility, thereby preventing melting.
However, Balitsky denied that such a development could affect security in the region or the entire region. He also said that the current water level near the ZNPP is abnormal but is still acceptable.
Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Agency (IAEA), also affirmed that there is no immediate risk to the safety of the plants safety.
Mr. Grossi added that the water level in the reservoir was about 16.4 meters on the morning of June 6 but was still decreasing. "If it drops below 12.7 m, it will be impossible to pump water to cool the station anymore. The lack of cooling water for a long time will cause fuel to melt and the emergency power system will not be able to operate, Mr. Grossi noted.
Meanwhile, Balitsky warned that the destruction of the dam could also cause damage to the region's agriculture due to water shortages in local irrigation canals.
He said that the water in the canals will be enough to serve for a month and a half, local agricultural enterprises are likely to survive in the current season but will need to solve this problem next year.
Kherson Governor Vladimir Saldo has issued a similar warning. He said that as soon as the water level drops - and this will happen quite soon - the reservoir will lose its water reserve for irrigation.
Authorities in Crimea, which also receives water from the Dnepr River, said there are enough reserves to deal with the potential shortage. However, Crimea governor Sergey Actionsov still admitted that the dam breach could lead to a drop in the Northern Crimean Canal, which connects the peninsula to the Dnepr River.
Vladimir Leontyev, the Mayor of Novaya Kakhovka city, which is downstream of the destroyed dam, said the city's water level continued to rise all day, more than 11 meters, higher than initially expected after the dam broke.
Leontyev also warned that the hydropower dam continued to break and the turbine room was flooded. Video filmed in Novaya Kakhovka by RT shows streets flooded with mud.
Russia - Ukraine blame each other
The dam is believed to have been destroyed by an explosion in early June. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu called the incident an act of sabotage by Ukrainian forces. The Ukrainian authorities' beginnings to reduce the water level at a separate dam they control on the Dnepr River suggest that this was a large-scale sabotage attack planned by the Kiev regime in advance, Shoigu said.
Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov also said the incident was unintentional sabotage by Ukraine, warning of serious consequences for tens of thousands of local residents and ecosystems.
He noted that the sabotage was aimed at cutting off water supply to the Crimean peninsula, and the attacks appeared to be related to Ukraine's recent large-scale counterattacks on the Donbass front, which were blocked by Russian defense forces.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the dam was damaged in a Russian attack.
Mikhail Podoliak, a top assistant to the Ukrainian president, accused Russia of staging the largest environmental disaster in Europe in decades.
Russian military commentator Vladislav Ugolny believes the dam explosion will make all military activities in the region much more difficult.
Now, both sides must withdraw from the area and take up positions on the opposite bank of the Dnepr River, he explained, adding that the rac race for control of this part of the river has stopped.
Mr Ugolny also warned of the risk of dam failure continuing to occur, and that any real repair work cannot be carried out in the current situation.
