China expressed “great concern” on Friday over the destruction of the Kakhovka dam (southern Ukraine) and the resulting humanitarian, economic and environmental impact, at a time when Kiev and Moscow exchange accusations over responsibility for what happened.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a press conference “all parties to the conflict” must “respect humanitarian law” and “do everything in their power to protect civilians and protect civilian facilities” in the context of the ongoing conflict on Ukrainian territory, unleashed by the Russian military offensive launched in February 2022.
“China’s position on the crisis in Ukraine is consistent and clear. Under the current circumstances, we expect all parties to commit to a political solution to the crisis and work together to alleviate the situation,” the spokesman said. the website of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Kakhovka dam is located in the Kherson region, annexed by Russia, but Ukrainian troops control the part on the right bank of the Dnieper River, and Russian troops control the left bank.
More than 2,700 people have been evacuated from flooded areas following Tuesday’s destruction of the Kakhovka dam, Ukrainian and Russian authorities announced Wednesday.
Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of destroying part of the dam that supplies water to the Crimean peninsula occupied and annexed by Russia in 2014.
The international community as a whole blamed Russia, but UN Secretary-General António Guterres reacted cautiously on Tuesday due to a lack of independent information.
However, he viewed it as a “monumental human, economic and environmental catastrophe”, and yet another “devastating consequence of the Russian invasion” of Ukraine.
Source: DN
