Disaster on the Dnieper. Warning against floating mines, diseases and chemicals

After blowing up the dam in Nova Kakhovka on the Dnieper, Ukrainian authorities warn of floating mines, diseases and chemicals that the flood wave brings.

A senior Ukrainian official warned on Wednesday of the dangers of floating mines and the spread of diseases and dangerous chemicals discovered during an inspection of the damage caused by the explosion of the Nova Kakhovka dam in the Kherson region.

Oleksandr Prokudin, the governor of the region loyal to the authorities in Kyiv, said that in some places in Kherson the water level reached 5.34 meters. He added that the tide peaked on Wednesday and the water was slowly receding. 

Flood in Kherson. Russian shelling during the rescue operation

Kherson is located opposite the Russian-controlled eastern bank of the Dnieper. Some of the city's residents came under Russian artillery fire as the rescue operation continued. Explosions were heard all the time, according to Reuters.

Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said during a visit to Kherson that more than 80 towns were affected by the disaster on the Dnieper, for which Kyiv and Moscow blame each other.

“The wave picks up the mines that were laid earlier, causing them to explode” Kubrakov said. He added that as a result of the flooding, infectious diseases and chemicals entered the water.

Explosion of the dam in Nova Kakhovka. The occupation authorities do not evacuate residents

According to him, the Ukrainian authorities evacuated people from 24 flooded settlements. At least 20 settlements were underwater in areas occupied by Russian forces. “We see that the occupation authorities are not evacuating the inhabitants” said Kubrakov, calling on the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross to help evacuate flood victims from Russian-held regions.

According to him, on Tuesday the water level in Kherson rose by 12-16 cm per hour, but now it is only rising by 1-2 cm per hour. “This is one of the most horrific terrorist acts of this war” said the Ukrainian deputy prime minister.

The dam blown up on the Dnieper had a height of 30 meters and a length of 3.2 km. It was built in 1956 as part of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant. The nearby Kakhovsky Reservoir supplies water to the Crimean Peninsula annexed by Russia and to the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia, which is also under the control of Russian forces.