Thousands of people are being evacuated after a dam in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian region of Kherson was breached overnight.
Dozens of towns are flooded and the long-term impact has been described as an “environmental catastrophe”.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of blowing up the dam, while Moscow claims the destruction was a “deliberate act of sabotage” by Kyiv
Russia’s Investigative Committee says it has launched a criminal investigation into the breach. Meanwhile, Kyiv says it has opened a war crimes probe
The dam is a significant resource, supplying water to a host of communities and Europe’s largest nuclear power station at Zaporizhzhia
The head of the UN nuclear watchdog said a lack of cooling water at Zaporizhzia could disrupt its emergency diesel generators – though the situation at the plant is said to be under control
Nato’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg described the “outrageous” destruction as proof of “the brutality of Russia’s war in Ukraine”, while the EU has condemned the attack as a new example of the “barbaric aggression” by Russia against Ukraine
Fighting is continuing in the region, with Ukraine reporting Russian shelling in areas being evacuated
(News Agencies)
