Moscow has rejected the UN’s offer of help to the population affected by the consequences of the destruction of the Kakhovka HPP dam and the water is so polluted that beaches in Ukraine have been closed, writes Reuters.
The destruction of a dam on the 6th of June caused widespread flooding and destroyed homes and farmland across southern Ukraine, leaving residents without access to drinking water and other resources.
More than 11,000 people have been evacuated on both banks of the Dnieper,
and Russia has reported 35 dead in the areas under its control, while Ukraine’s Interior Ministry reports 17 dead and 31 missing persons.
The UN has called on Russia to act in accordance with its obligations under international human rights norms. Denise Brown, the UN aid coordinator in Ukraine, has stated that aid should not be denied to people who need it.
Ukraine accuses Russian forces of destroying a dam. A team of international experts assisting the Ukrainian prosecutor’s office in the investigation has informed that it is “highly likely” that bombs placed by the Russians caused the collapse of the dam.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin blames Kyiv for dam sabotage.
The Kakhovka HPP dam created a reservoir equal in size to the Great Salt Lake in the US.
Odessa’s authorities have closed famous Black Sea beaches and prohibited swimming and the consumption of fish caught there. Water tests have shown dangerously high levels of salmonella and other infectious agents, and the water is being checked for cholera bacteria.
Although the flood waters have receded, the Dnieper has carried tons of debris and waste to the Black Sea and the coast of Odessa, causing ecocide, and mines are also washed ashore.