On Tuesday, a major dam collapsed in the southern part of Ukraine, endangering villages, and threatening water supplies.
What is the Complete Story?
Ukraine and Russia blamed each other for the destruction as both sides scrambled to evacuate their residents. Ukraine accuses Russia of blowing up the hydroelectric power station and the Kakhovka Dam on the Dnieper River. Moscow.
On the other hand, Russia accuses Ukraine of bombing the contested area. While blaming each other, both sides use terms like terrorist act and ecological disaster to describe the torrent of water gushing through the broken dam.
They said it is beginning to empty one of the world’s largest upstream reservoirs. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a statement that it is one of the largest human-made environmental disasters in Europe.
On the other hand, Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General, called it one of the devastating consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Rescue
After the destruction, officials expressed concerns about drinking water and evacuating thousands of people from Russian and Ukrainian-controlled areas. Officials from both the sides brought buses and trains to move people to safer places.
Viktoriia Lytvynova, Ukraine’s deputy chief prosecutor, said that around 17000 people from Ukraine and 25000 from Russia have to be evacuated. However, the dam destruction gave the Russia and Ukraine war a new dimension.
The Ukrainian military was seen moving forward with a long anticipated counteroffensive in the east and south of the front line.
Who is Responsible for this Major Dam Collapse?
However, it was clear whether Russia or Ukraine destroyed the dam or it was just a collapse from gradual degradation.
The Russian Defence Minister, accused Ukraine of destroying the dam to prevent Russia from attacking. On the other hand, the Ukrainian President said that Russia had mined the dam, and at that moment, an explosion occurred.
It was being said that the dam was in disrepair earlier, which may lead to the breach. A retired American scientist, David Helms, made a statement that it wasn’t clear whether the damage was deliberate or neglected by occupying Russian forces.
Global Repercussions of Collapse
After the collapse, wheat prices jumped about 3%, as Russia and Ukraine are known as the key global suppliers of wheat, and other food to Africa and the Middle east parts of Asia. However, it is unclear whether the jump in wheat prices is due to flood damaging crops.
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