Satellite image of the Nova Kakhovka Dam in Kherson – Reuters
Russia and Ukraine
TASS: The Nova Kakhovka Dam was targeted by a missile from a Ukrainian “Olkha” missile launcher…and the pro-Russian mayor of Nova Kakhovka accuses Ukraine of targeting the dam and creating a catastrophe
As it continues Russian military operationToday, Tuesday, the Southern Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said today, Tuesday, that Russian forces blew up the Nova Kakhovka Dam, located in the Russian-controlled parts of the Ukrainian region of Kherson. And the governor of the Kherson region announced the start of the evacuation process near the Nova Kakhovka Dam, after the Russian media announced the collapse of the dam.
The governor said via the “Telegram” application: “Within five hours, the water level will reach a critical level,” while the Russian news agency “Tass” quoted emergency services as saying that about 80 residential communities may be affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam. And she added, quoting an informed source, whose identity was not mentioned, that the huge Nova Kakhovka dam, located in the Russian-controlled parts of the Kherson region in southern Ukraine, was destroyed and that the water flooded the area.
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Ukrainian officials said floods are sweeping several villages on the Dnipro River, while Ukraine is evacuating residents and saying 16,000 people are in a “critical area” after part of the dam was destroyed. RIA Novosti reported that 22,000 people and 14 residential neighborhoods were affected by the flood after the Nova Kakhovka Dam was targeted.
“TASS” quoted the Novaya Kakhovka authorities as saying that the water level had risen to 12 meters after the destruction of part of the Kakhovka hydroelectric station, noting that the Novaya Kakhovka Dam was targeted by a missile from the Ukrainian “Olkha” missile launcher. The pro-Russian mayor of Nova Kakhovka accused Ukraine of targeting the dam and creating a disaster. A local official said that there is a threat of collapse of about 300 houses in the flood area after the Nova Kakhovka Dam was targeted.
Satellite image of the dam – Reuters
Earlier in the morning, the Ukrainian Southern Command said on its Facebook page: “The extent of the destruction, the speed and quantities of water, and the areas likely to be flooded are being determined,” while the mayor of Nova Kakhovka in Kherson, which is under Russian control, denied reports of the dam’s bombing. , warning that the destruction of the dam will lead to problems in the water supply in Crimea.
For his part, a Russian-backed official said, “There is no danger to the Zaporizhya nuclear plant so far after the explosion of the Nova Kakhovka dam.”
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Repelling air strikes in Kyiv
The military administration in Ukraine also confirmed that air defense systems intervened to repel air strikes on the Kiev region in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
While the mayor of Kiev indicated that the sound of explosions in Kiev was the result of the intervention of air defense systems to repel Russian attacks.
For its part, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it It thwarted a new major Ukrainian offensive in the Donetsk region The Kiev forces inflicted huge human losses and destroyed 8 Leopard tanks, as the Ukrainian forces continued to fight.
Ukrainian counterattack
Indications that the long-awaited Ukrainian counterattack are beginning to emerge, US military satellites that can track artillery and missile firing have picked up increased movements from Ukrainian positions, and the Russian Defense Ministry said Ukraine had launched a “large-scale” offensive along five districts in southeast of Donetsk province and that Moscow forces repulsed it. Despite Ukraine’s denials, a senior official in the Ministry of Defense told Politico: Politico The counterattack has officially begun.
Some experts agree on the American version. “I think we are seeing the opening stages,” said Michael Kaufman, director of the Russian Studies Program at the Center for Naval Analytics and a senior war analyst, adding, however, that “this is not the main effort yet.”
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So far, Ukrainian officials have denied that the operation is taking place. “All the news about the big start is Russian propaganda,” said a senior Ukrainian official. “They are trying to divert attention from their failure in Bakhmut.”
Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, tweeted, “Only follow official news from Ukraine if you want to know the truth.”
Kiev released a video over the weekend showing soldiers putting their finger to their lips urging less speculation about the counterattack and the phrase “Plans Love Silence”.
On Saturday, Zelensky told the Wall Street Journal that his army was ready to go. He continued, “I don’t know how long it will take.. To be honest, it could go in several ways, very different but we will do it, and we are ready.”
For its part, the Biden administration is keeping quiet. Another Defense Department official said the Pentagon was seeing an “escalation” in Ukrainian military activity, but did not confirm that that meant a counterattack had begun.
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2023-06-06 05:37:30
