WAR IN UKRAINE: June 6, 2023
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Day 468
The dam of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant across the Dnipro River, occupied by Russian forces, was destroyed on the morning of June 6, sparking a large-scale humanitarian and environmental disaster across southern Ukraine. Ukraine's Southern Operational Command reported early in the morning that Russian forces blew up the dam. Video footage widely spread on social media clearly shows a major breach in the section of the dam closest to the Russian-occupied eastern bank of the river. According to a resident of a nearby settlement cited by Ukrainska Pravda, there was a single explosion, after which the dam "collapsed like a house of cards." Ukraine's national police have called for the residents of 10 villages alongside the bank of the Dnipro River to evacuate, as well as part of Kherson city itself - Kyiv Independent
The volume of water in the Kakhovka reservoir is about equal to the Great Salt Lake in the U.S. state of Utah. Not an insignificant amount. The Kakhovka HPP has a total installed capacity of 351 MW station; hydropower generation meets about 5% of the total electricity demand in Ukraine
“The destruction of Nova Kakhovka dam and the resulting floods pose a significant threat to civilians, their homes and livelihoods. It leaves tens of thousands in a dire humanitarian situation. Damage to critical infrastructure can plunge entire communities into despair and devastate civilian lives” - Ariane Baurer of the International Committee of the Red Cross
Sadly and tragically, officials and volunteers at the zoo near Nova Kakhovka report that only swans and ducks survived the massive flooding from the Russian strike on the power dam upriver. Monkeys, raccoons and ponies are among the 300 or so dead animals
Russia launched 35 cruise missiles in a night attack against Ukraine on June 6, all of which were shot down by air defense, Ukraine's Air Force reported.
Ukrainian military sources tell BBC that a series of small scale armoured offensive operations are under way. However, they did not say whether it’s the start of Ukraine's full scale counter-offensive