Major Dam Collapses in Ukraine as Kyiv, Moscow Trade Blame
AllSides Summary
The wall of a major dam in Russian-controlled southern Ukraine collapsed Tuesday, sparking emergency evacuations as Ukraine and Russia traded blame.
The Details: The Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant is in the city of Nova Kakhovka in Ukraine's Kherson region, which is currently occupied by Russian forces. Video showed a large breach in the dam on Tuesday, and satellite images show some damage to the dam in the previous few days. Residents and businesses fled as flood waters traveled downstream. While evacuations continued, officials expressed concern about cooling systems at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, drinking water quality to the south in Crimea, and irreversible ecological damage from the flooding.
Why? Ukraine says Russia blew up the dam to thwart a coming counteroffensive. Russian said Ukraine sabotaged the dam to deprive Russian-controlled Crimea of water.
For Context: The dam held water roughly equal to the Great Salt Lake in Utah.
How the Media Covered It: Sources across the spectrum covered the news prominently Tuesday, especially left- and center-rated sources.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Right
Ukraine says Russia blew up major dam near Kherson, prompting mass evacuations
Hundreds of Ukrainians living in villages along the Dnipro River were given less than five hours to evacuate their homes Tuesday after officials say Russian forces blew up a large dam — unleashing a flood of rushing water in the war-torn region.
Oleksandr Prokudin, the head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, said Russia’s army “committed yet another act of terror” after the Kakhovka dam in the Russian-controlled section of southern Ukraine collapsed.
The Ukrainian Interior Ministry advised residents of 10 riverside villages downstream from the dam as well as...
From the Center
What we know about Nova Kakhovka dam attack
A huge dam in the Russian-controlled area of southern Ukraine has been destroyed, unleashing a flood of water.
Ukraine's military and Nato have accused Russia of blowing up the dam, while Russia has blamed Ukraine.
Thousands of people are being evacuated from communities in the surrounding areas, with fears that any flooding could be catastrophic.
Here's what we know so far.
The Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant is in the city of Nova Kakhovka in Ukraine's Kherson region, which is currently under Russian occupation.
It was built in the Soviet era...
From the Left
Collapse of major dam in southern Ukraine triggers emergency as Moscow and Kyiv blame each other
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...
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