Crisis in Crimea after dam explosion. Expert: There will be no water for at least a year

Blowing up the dam in Nova Kakhovka brings huge problems not only in the Kherson region but also for the Crimean Peninsula. Access to running water in the area annexed by Russia will be difficult for at least a year.

Ihor Syrota, general director of Ukrhydroenergo, spoke on Channel 24 about the problems of the inhabitants of Crimea. In his opinion, even earlier, there were serious problems with the water supply in this area. Now the situation is downright tragic.

— We understand that it is (a problem – ed.) for years. Due to the explosion of the Kakhovsky thermal power plant, Crimea will be without water for a year in the most optimistic scenario. In total, it could be two or three years, he said.

According to analysts' calculations, the Crimean Peninsula needs nearly 18.5 million cubic kilometers of stored water to normalize the situation. For this to be the case, the rains would have to be exceptionally heavy, even causing floods.

Destruction of the dam. The losses of one and a half billion euros are just the beginning

The head of the Kherson regional military administration, Oleksandr Prokudin, informed about the first valuations of environmental damage caused by the flood wave after the dam in Nova Kakhovka was blown up. “The estimated amount of environmental damage caused by the Russian detonation of the Nova Kakhovka dam is already more than 1.5 billion euros,” he wrote.

In total, about 55,000 hectares of forests were flooded. — The water that flowed from the reservoir would be enough to provide water for the entire world's population for two days, Prokudin estimated.

According to experts, the amount of EUR 1.5 billion is the tip of the iceberg. We are talking only about losses in the natural environment. The amount will increase significantly when damage to the infrastructure is added.