‘Mass destruction’: Evacuations continue as Ukraine, Russia trade blame over dam
Visit our website:
http://www.france24.com
Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English
Follow us on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/France24_en
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 Downstream from the Nova Kokovka dam, water is rising fast, leaving hundreds living along
00:07 the Dnipro River with no choice but to leave their homes.
00:11 As authorities warn that the worst floodwater levels are yet to come, villagers anxiously
00:16 wait to be evacuated.
00:18 "I am afraid my house will be completely submerged and it's made of clay. I can't help stressing
00:28 that my asthma has got worse."
00:30 "I was brought here so I can get to Kablevo. My daughter and grandchildren also were evacuated
00:37 too."
00:39 Some 80 towns and villages are at risk of being flooded. And in the district of Nova
00:44 Kokovka, a state of emergency has been declared.
00:48 Water has been gushing through the barrier ever since it was breached on Tuesday, when
00:53 Ukraine's president accused Moscow of causing the disaster.
00:56 "The whole world will know about this Russian war crime, the crime of eco-cycling. This
01:03 deliberate destruction of the dam and other facilities by the Russian occupiers is an
01:07 environmental bomb of mass destruction. For the sake of their own security, the world
01:13 should now show that Russia will not get away with such terror."
01:17 Russia, however, counter-blamed Ukraine of deliberately sabotaging it via shelling.
01:23 The critical dam lies in the southern city of Kherson, which has been under Russian control
01:28 for most of the invasion.
01:31 Officials have warned for months that the dam could be targeted, as it's integral to
01:35 Ukraine's energy infrastructure, providing millions with electricity and water to communities
01:41 upstream.