“In the early hours of June 6, 2023, Russian forces blew up the Kakhovka dam in the occupied territory in the south of Ukraine. This massive concrete structure held 18.3 cubic kilometers of water. The civilian population and the environment downstream of the Dnipro River are already suffering tremendous damage as a result of floods.
President Zelenskyy immediately convened the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine. Ukrainian law enforcement and emergency services are working hard to mitigate the consequences and save lives.
Ukraine calls an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council and brings the issue of the Russian terrorist act to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors. We will also cooperate with the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism and other international mechanisms to mitigate consequences and bring Russia to account.
In light of developments on the battlefield, Russia’s deliberate and long-planned terrorist act turned the man-made flood into a weapon.
The harm to the environment is of particular concern. Entire ecosystems are facing long-term and irreversible harm because of the floods. Animals in the Nova Kakhovka zoo have already died in the rising water, and this is only the beginning of harm for fauna in the south of Ukraine, along the Dnipro river, and in the Black Sea. We are witnessing ecocide on a regional, not just Ukrainian, scale.
We call on all governments and international organizations to condemn Russia’s actions and support President Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula. Its items “Prevention of Ecocide,” “Nuclear Safety,” and “Energy Safety” are all highly relevant right now.
The Kakhovka disaster is yet another proof that Russia is a terrorist state. Every country, parliament, and international organization should recognize Russia as such — without delay.
We also call on the EU and G7 member states to impose new devastating sanctions on Russia, including its missile industry and atomic energy sphere.
Russia will be held accountable for the destruction of the Kakhovka dam and other crimes”.
Video: https://we.tl/t-ilWPKu17ga
Best regards,
Embassy of Ukraine in Romania