Blow up of Kakhovka HPP by Russians is biggest man-made environmental disaster in Europe for decades, - Zelensky
President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that the Russians’ detonation of the Kakhovka HPP was planned.
The head of state said this during an address to the participants of the "Bucharest Nine" summit, Censor.NET reports.
"Unfortunately, Russia has been controlling this dam and the entire Kakhovka hydroelectric power station for more than a year. And it is physically impossible to blow it up somehow from the outside, with shelling. It was mined. It was mined by the Russian occupiers. And it was blown up by them. And this once again demonstrates with what cynicism Russia treats the people whose land it seized, and what Russia actually brings to Europe and the world.
This is the biggest man-made environmental disaster in Europe in decades. And this is the most dangerous terrorist in the world. And therefore the defeat of Russia - a defeat that we will ensure anyway - will be the most significant contribution to the security of our region, our Europe, and the whole world," he emphasized.
According to Zelensky, the detonation was deliberate and prepared by the Russian occupiers.
"They knew exactly what they were doing. Imagine: the volume of the reservoir held by this dam is one of the largest reservoirs in Ukraine. Since last night, the southern regions of our country have been flooded. At least 100,000 people lived in these regions before the Russian invasion. At least tens of thousands are still there. 80 towns and villages under water. And evacuations have already begun. And these are only the initial effects. Unfortunately, the tragedy is much wider.
The Kakhovka reservoir was a source of drinking water for millions of people. Now, instead of a water pump, there is only a water lift. Imagine: for cities in which tens and hundreds of thousands of people live. The Kakhovka reservoir was also a source of water for farming and agricultural production. Colossal areas are now without irrigation. And now it is even difficult to determine what the consequences will be for the natural environment... Russia has detonated a bomb of mass environmental destruction. And this is real ecocide!" he added.
As Censor.NET reported, on the morning of 6 June, it became known that the Russian occupiers had blown up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station. According to the Kherson Regional State Administration, the water will reach a critical level in 5 hours after the explosion. Evacuations have begun in the region. Nova Kakhovka is already being flooded. The Korabel district of Kherson is without power, and the gas supply will be cut off in a few hours. National Police and SES units have been put on alert in the Kherson region.
President Volodymyr Zelensky initiated an emergency meeting of the National Security and Defence Council due to the bombing.
According to Energoatom, the racist bombing of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station could have negative consequences for ZNPP, but the situation is under control.
According to Ukrhydroenergo, Kakhovka HPP was completely destroyed as a result of an explosion in the engine room from the inside. The plant is beyond repair. The Prosecutor General's Office opened a criminal investigation into the explosion of the Kakhovka HPP under the article on ecocide.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has already held an urgent meeting of the National Security and Defence Council in connection with the occupiers' explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station.
