Nova Kakhovka Dam Collapse: Ukrainian Rescuers Face Danger as Russians Shoot at Them

• Ukrainian rescuers have faced obstacles as Russian forces shoot at them, hindering efforts to evacuate flood-stricken areas in the Kherson region
• President Zelensky describes the dire situation with casualties and difficulties in rescuing people due to shootings by occupiers
• The collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam caused widespread flooding, displacing thousands, damaging farmland, and raising concerns of environmental catastrophe

Ukrainian rescuers who have been trying to reach flooded areas in the Kherson region have faced major setbacks as Russian forces keep shooting at them.

Nova Kakhovka dam collapses

According to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, the rescuers were trying to evacuate thousands of people in the flood zone of the Russian-occupied Nova Kakhovka dam and hydro-electric power plant, which collapsed on Tuesday, June 6, sending torrents of water gushing down the Dnipro River.

“People, animals have died. From the roofs of the flooded houses, people see drowned people floating by. You can see that on the other side. It is very difficult to get people out of the occupied part of Kherson region,” Zelensky said.

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“When our forces try to get them [the residents] out, they are shot at by Russians from a distance,”We won't see all the consequences until a few days from now, when the water has trickled down a bit," he added.

CNN reports that so far, at least eight people have lost their lives because of the floods.

President Vladimir Putin won't visit families

He also disclosed that Russian president Vladimir Putin was not planning to visit communities affected by the flooding.

The evacuation efforts come as Ukrainian forces suffer “stiff resistance” and losses in soldiers and equipment in their first attempt to breach Russian lines in the east of the country in recent days, two senior US officials told CNN.

According to the humanitarian organisation, CARE, landmines are likely floating in the floods unleashed by the dam collapse.

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5 people drown

“It was reported that out of seven people who were grazing cattle, five drowned,” Vladimir Leontiev, head of the Nova Kakhovka city administration said.

“Three people drowned there. We do not know how many more dead people there will be. I think there might be many more. Between 3,500 and 4,000 people still lived in Oleshky, including many pensioners and bedridden people,” said Oleshky’s exiled Ukrainian mayor Yevhen Ryshchuk.

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The destruction of the dam and subsequent flooding forced more than 1,800 people to flee their homes, inundated thousands of hectares of farmland, threatened vital water supplies and prompted warnings of catastrophic environmental damage from Ukrainian officials and experts.

“The occupiers simply abandoned people in these terrible conditions. Without rescue, without water, just on the roofs of houses in flooded communities,” Zelensky said.

Many elderly people and some have experienced more than a year of conflict or have recently returned to their homes and are “less willing to leave because of flooding,” said Selena Kozakijevic, Ukraine area manager CARE.

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Kherson relieved after Russian occupation

In November 2022, Ukrainians in the liberated southern city of Kherson expressed a sense of relief on as they adjusted to life under Kyiv authorities after months of Russian occupation.

Residents said the Russians left a trail of destruction after an eight-month occupation, and an animal rights group said Moscow's forces had even stolen a racoon, wolves and squirrels from a local zoo.

AFP reported residents queued to get food, and many adults and children walked around wrapped in Ukrainian flags.

Source: TUKO.co.ke