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Dam Collapse Worsens Humanitarian Crisis in War-Torn Southern Ukraine

KHERSON, Ukraine — Swift action was taken by authorities on Wednesday to rescue hundreds of individuals marooned on rooftops and deliver potable water to regions submerged due to a dam failure in southern Ukraine. This catastrophic incident is exacerbating the ongoing humanitarian and environmental crisis along the river that delineates the conflict zone in the ongoing 15-month war.


The Kakhovka hydroelectric dam's disintegration and the subsequent drainage of its reservoir on the Dnieper River have compounded the hardships endured by the region for over a year due to artillery and missile strikes.


The unfolding humanitarian and environmental crises have already deprived tens of thousands of individuals of potable water, rendered many homeless, destroyed crops, displaced land mines, and set the stage for enduring power shortages.


Inhabitants from Russia-controlled regions affected by the flooding voiced their dissatisfaction over the delayed arrival of help, with many trapped on rooftops and roads only navigable by boat, reminiscent of natural disasters rather than war. Some, however, opted to stay put.

Preliminary casualty reports from the disaster started coming in, with one mayor reporting three fatalities. Officials reported that a minimum of 4,000 people have been evacuated from both Russian and Ukrainian-controlled sides of the river. The full extent of the catastrophe remains unknown in an area with a population exceeding 60,000. Russian-instated authorities in the occupied Kherson region reported 15,000 inundated homes.


The dam and its reservoir, vital for the provision of fresh water and irrigation for southern Ukraine, are located in the Kherson region which was unlawfully annexed by Moscow in September and has been under occupation for the past year.


The reservoir also plays a crucial role in providing water supplies to the Crimean Peninsula, which was illicitly annexed by Russia in 2014. Ukraine maintains control over the Dnieper’s western bank, while the flood-prone eastern side is under Russian control.

The high water levels threaten to destroy this season's crops, and the depletion of the Kakhovka reservoir could disrupt adequate irrigation for years to come. The loss of the reservoir further complicates the restoration and reactivation of the destroyed hydroelectric power plant and the provision of cooling water for any future endeavors to reactivate the defunct Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

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6 Comments


Unknown member
Jun 13, 2023

Pooty is obviously conceding Crimea to the Ukes.

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Unknown member
Jun 13, 2023

Commies are godless POS.

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Unknown member
Jun 13, 2023

This relates to the YouTube presentations but is a very general question. Prompted by 6/12 "Ukraine Liberates More Towns". While not yet a paying member, I'll definitely consider it. Today is my first time noticing CombatVetNews. ANY WAY TO ACCESS INTERACTIVE COMBAT MAP??? At (timestamp) 7:41 you switch to a different map format and refer to the "combat map". This is the first time that an inset map appears showing the area covered by the big map (not to mention a new right-hand column detailing events by the hour). I'd like to be able to develop some understanding of the map talk, and this is one very helpful detail. What I'd really like is access to the interactive map you're w…

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Unknown member
Jun 08, 2023

If it was the Russians who blew the dam up, and I find it difficult to imagine how the Ukrainians could have done it, it is a strong indication that some Russians in command positions believe that the area served by the dam, much of which is currently under Russian control, won't be for much longer.


I find it hard to understand such a defeatist mentality.


Even Crimea depended on this reservoir.

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Unknown member
Jun 11, 2023
Replying to

Ukraine takes the dam They control the water instead of no one.

Blowing dam, shortens The line while taking Ukraine units out of initial operation as they will have to reposition.


Defeatist attitude is one where you stop looking for available options. Not to mention the Russian propaganda machine

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Unknown member
Jun 08, 2023

My comments are on the Russian legion and general developments:

  1. the US could very well have supplied the ak47s.

Who ended up with the 37,000 ak47s that the US intercepted in a freighter from Iran to the fighting in the southern Saudi Arabian Pens.?

2. Are you aware that a young American is sitting in federal prison for selling defective ak47 rounds from Albanian stocks in response to a US government invitation some years ago for people to supply fresh ak47 rounds?


Onto the "invasion" of Russia. There are forces all over the world engaged in skirmishes within sovereign nations. It has been going on for decades in Columbia as just one example. Moreover, the scope of the invasi…


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