Russia uses environmental terrorism in war against Ukraine
Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, said, “At 2:50am this morning, Russian troops blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric Station and its dam [which supplies water to Ukraine's Crimean peninsula and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant], flooding a swathe of the war zone and forcing villagers to flee.
"The explosion came from within. We know that Russian troops had mined the hydroelectric Station in the early days of the full-scale invasion, so the pre-meditated blast is the only plausible explanation.”
Senior advisor Dasha Zarivna said, “The dam bombing is another unprecedented Russian war crime against Ukraine, which will have catastrophic consequences both for its population and other countries. These include environmental and economic consequences, a great risk from radiation, and further serious disruption to food security. Last October, President Zelenskiy said, ‘All the world leaders should let Russia understand that a terrorist attack on the Kakhovka hydroelectric station will be equated to the use of weapons of mass destruction.' Now it has happened. World leaders must recognize the equivalence, and now must act decisively. It is essential to isolate the terrorist state as completely as possible. Any economic ties with Russia outside of humanitarian activities should be regarded as complicity in its war crimes.”
the vast reservoir behind the dam is one of the main geographic features of southern Ukraine, 240 kilometers (150 miles) long and up to 23 km wide, and a huge swathe of countryside lies in the flood plain below
