Nova Kakhovka Bridge - Satellite image of the Nova Kakhovka nuclear power plant in the Kherson region. Ukraine says Russian forces blew up the dam. Photo: Maxar Technologies Brochure/EPK

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of planning to blow up the two-kilometre-long Nova Kakhovka dam in the country's south, warning that its collapse would cause a "massive disaster" affecting towns and cities.

Nova Kakhovka Bridge

Nova Kakhovka Bridge

The 100-foot-tall dam holds 18 million cubic meters of water, sits upstream from Russian-held Kherson on the Dnieper River and is 20 miles from Ukrainian forces hoping to retake both it and the captured city.

Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station

In a speech on Thursday night, Zelensky said he had told European leaders that "Russian terrorists" had blown up the dam, which could affect Crimea and the surrounding region if it burst.

Ukraine's military intelligence said on Friday that Russia began the main drawdown in April, but warned that the dam's culverts and abutments had been reinforced last week. The agency added that two military vehicles filled with explosives were placed on the road that crosses the dam.

"Now everyone in the world must act strongly and quickly to prevent a new Russian terrorist attack. Breaking the dam means a large-scale disaster," Zelensky warned in Kiev that Russia would blame Ukraine for the dam break.

Russian propagandists posted graphics online showing a possible flood route, prompting the Institute for the Study of War think tank to conclude that Moscow "may continue to prepare for a false flag attack" by retreating forces .

Zelenskiy Accuses Russia Of Plotting To Blow Up Ukrainian Dam

The commander of Russian forces, Sergei Surovikin, said on Tuesday that he had information that Ukrainian forces were preparing a massive attack on the dam and warned of a catastrophe if the dam breaks.

"We have information that the Kiev regime may use prohibited methods of warfare on the territory of the city of Kherson, that Kiev is preparing a large-scale missile attack on the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station," Surovikin said.

Ukraine launched a counteroffensive in September in the Kherson region, west of the Dnieper, and over the past month has been gradually pushing Russian forces back to both the dam and the city of Kherson itself. This week, Russia announced it would begin evacuating civilians from the city, a move seen as a pretext to abandon the city or leave it lightly defended.

Nova Kakhovka Bridge

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Ukrainian Forces Hit The Nova Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant Bridge/dam Area In Kherson Oblast Again This Morning. Likely With Himars. Power Disruptions Were Reported In The Area Following The Strikes.

The military intelligence statement also warned that "dozens of Ukrainian settlements, including Kherson" could be affected by the breach and that "the magnitude of the environmental disaster will extend beyond Ukraine's borders and affect the entire Black Sea region."

Zelensky said destroying the dam would also destroy the nearby North Crimea Canal, which supplies water to the Russian-controlled peninsula, which was reopened by occupation forces earlier this year.

"If Russia is preparing for such a terrorist attack, if it is seriously considering such a scenario, then it clearly understands that terrorists cannot control not only Kherson, but the entire south of our country, including Crimea. Zelensky added. [1/3] A satellite image shows the Kakhovka Dam on the Dnieper River near Nova Kakhovka, Ukraine, on October 18, 2022. Via Maxar Technologies/Handout

October 21 () - Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of plotting to blow up the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam on the Dnieper River, which would cause catastrophic flooding in a large area of ​​southern Ukraine.

Russian Troops In South Ukraine Squeezed As Kyiv Ramps Up Strikes On Bridges, Ammo Depots

* The dam, 30 meters high and 3.2 km long, was built on the Dnieper River in 1956 as part of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station.

* It has an 18 km3 reservoir that also supplies water to the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, and to the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

* The volume of water in the reservoir is equal to that of the Great Salt Lake in Utah, USA.

Nova Kakhovka Bridge

* The explosion of a Russian-controlled Soviet-era dam would unleash a deadly wall of flooding across much of Kherson province, which Russia declared annexed last month as Ukraine moves forward.

Afu Again Hit Antonivskyi Bridge And Chornobayivka

* The destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant would also contribute to Ukraine's energy problems, which Kiev says come after weeks of missile attacks on Russian power and manufacturing grids.

* Sergei Surovikin, the commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, said on Tuesday that he had information that Ukrainian forces were preparing for a major attack on the dam and had already used US-supplied HIMARS missiles, which could be catastrophic, he said . .

"We have information that the Kiev regime may use prohibited methods of warfare on the territory of the city of Kherson, that Kiev is preparing a large-scale missile attack on the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station," Surovikin said.

According to Ukrainian officials, this accusation is a sign that Moscow plans to attack the dam and blame it on Kiev.

Explainer: Could Ukraine's Kakhovka Dam Be Destroyed In Russia's Kherson Retreat?

* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that Russia had mined the dam and was preparing to blow it up, a move he likened to using a weapon of mass destruction.

"Today, at the meeting of the Council of Europe, I informed the Europeans about the next terrorist attack that Russia is preparing at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station," he said. "Breaking the dam would be a huge disaster."

He said blowing up the dam would also cut off Crimea's water supply, showing Russia's recognition that it could no longer hold the peninsula.

Nova Kakhovka Bridge

Kirill Stremousov, the Russian-appointed deputy head of the annexed Kherson region, said Kiev's claims that Russia had exploded the dam were false.

Ukraine Further Damages Bridges In Kherson, Nova Kakhovka; Bakhmut Remains Front's Hottest Spot

The Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed that the Antonivsky Bridge in Kherson and the Nova Kakhovka Dam were hit.

The head of the coordinating press center of the Southern Operational Command, Nataliya Khumenyuk, announced it on the air of the telethon, "Ukrinform" reports.

He added that in the last 24 hours several ammunition depots of the Russian occupation forces were also destroyed.

- The fire control that has been carried out for several days in this area has been started and has given its result. We targeted very important targets on the Antonivsky and Kakhovsky bridges,” Khumenyuk said.

Ukraine Might Have Hit Key Bridge Russia Tries To Repair: \

"We are checking the result to see which strikes came from us as we understand that the resistance movement is also strong in the occupied territories," Khumenyuk said.

According to him, the partisan movement in the south and the destruction of warehouses have a significant impact on the morale of Russian troops and their combat ability. The invaders suffer losses in equipment, ammunition and personnel.

The spokesman said that "the Russians intended to use their reserves for future active operations, patching holes in the defense."

Nova Kakhovka Bridge

As previously reported, explosions were heard in several settlements in the occupied Kherson region last night.

Ukrainians Strike Russian Positions, Damage Dnieper Bridge Near Kherson

In particular, witnesses reported that an attack took place on the Antonivsky bridge that crosses the Dnieper in Kherson. Construction equipment may catch fire on the bridge after the explosion. With the help of this technique, the Russians tried to restore the tread in recent days.

There are also reports of explosions near the Kakhovska power plant. In addition, there were reports of explosions in Oleshki, Chornobayivka, Skadovsk and Chaplinka.

Earlier, the invaders admitted that the Antonivsky bridge in Kherson was seriously damaged by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The bridge is of strategic importance to the Russian military. This is one of the main supply bridges used by raiders in Kherson to reach the right bank of the Dnieper.

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