President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said that Russian troops mined the dam and units of the Kakhovska hydroelectric power station. The occupiers are planning a terrorist attack under a "foreign flag".
He said this in an address to the European Council.
"If Russian terrorists blow up this dam, more than 80 settlements, including Kherson, will be in the zone of rapid flooding... A Russian terrorist attack could leave the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant without water for cooling — water for the nuclear power plant is taken from the Kakhovka reservoir. Even the operation of the canal, which was built to supply water to Crimea and which Moscow allegedly "burns" periodically, will be completely destroyed," the president said.
He emphasized that Russia is creating the basis for a large-scale disaster in the south of Ukraine. The dam of this hydroelectric power plant holds approximately 18 million cubic meters of water. Hundreds of thousands of people may be affected, and the consequences of this terrorist attack may become a historical catastrophe.
"Russia has already prepared everything to carry out this terrorist attack. Ukrainian workers were thrown out of the Kakhovska station — only Russian citizens were there. They have complete control over the station. It is necessary to act immediately so that Russia does not have the opportunity to realize this catastrophe. An international observation mission to the Kakhovska HPP is needed. It is necessary to return Ukrainian personnel there and ensure immediate and professional demining of units and dams," the president said.
- The day before, Saldoʼs collaborator directly spoke about the "planned destruction of the Kakhovska HPP dam". He stated this during the announcement of the "relocation" of civilians to the left bank of the Dnieper due to the offensive of the Armed Forces.