Pro-Russian officials in Ukraine’s Kherson region have begun releasing water from the Nova Kakhovka dam to lower the level and thus minimize the disaster that would be caused by an infrastructure attack failure.
“The discharge of water increased in the last week, so in case of a negative development of events, the amount of water that would flow downstream would be less,” said Vladimir Leontiev, head of the pro-Russian administration of Nova Kakhovka. the television program Soloviev Live.
The official explained that all the gates are open to carry out the “preliminary discharge of water”, after the Russian and pro-Russian authorities warned of a possible Ukrainian attack on the dam to prevent the evacuation of civilians, something that kyiv has already described as as absurd. .
Ukrainian military intelligence, on the other hand, claims that Russia blew up the dam as early as April and is currently mining the gates and supports in preparation for a quick reconquest of the southern region by kyiv troops.
“The hints about the attacks on the hydroelectric plant since April are a completely blatant lie,” Leontiev said.
According to Leontiev, the infrastructure is under missile attack almost daily.
“There is no panic, we are calm, ready for any development of events. […]. We are going to defend the hydroelectric plant”, he added, although he admitted that the impact of the disaster in case the dam is destroyed would be very serious.
“It is better not to think about the magnitude of the disaster, since it will cover almost the entire Kherson region. Significant territories will be flooded, which will cause very serious damage. It cannot be taken lightly,” he said.
The hydroelectric plant was built in the former Soviet Union with a wide safety margin, but it is necessary, according to the official, “to be prepared for possible difficulties.”
Leontiev admitted that, in case of destruction of the reservoir dam, the water supply to the annexed Crimean peninsula would be interrupted.
“The water supplied to Crimea [através do Canal da Crimeia do Norte], since February, was almost 400 million cubic meters, just under two million cubic meters per day. This possibility will be lost [em caso de explosão ou ruturra”, disse.
O Canal da Crimeia do Norte, com mais de 400 quilómetros de extensão, tem origem no reservatório de Kakhovka e foi construído entre 1961 e 1971 para fornecer água às áreas secas da região de Kherson e da Crimeia.
A ofensiva militar lançada em 24 de fevereiro pela Rússia na Ucrânia causou já a fuga de mais de 13 milhões de pessoas — mais de seis milhões de deslocados internos e mais de 7,7 milhões para países europeus -, de acordo com os mais recentes dados das Nações Unidas, que classificam esta crise de refugiados como a pior na Europa desde a Segunda Guerra Mundial (1939-1945).
A invasão russa — justificada pelo Presidente Putin com a necessidade de “desnazificar” e desmilitarizar a Ucrânia para segurança da Rússia – foi condenada pela generalidade da comunidade internacional, que tem respondido com envio de armamento para a Ucrânia e imposição à Rússia de sanções políticas e económicas.
Source: TSF
