Zaharova cited that the World Data Center for Geoinformatics and Sustainable Development of the Ihor Sikorsky Kyiv Technical University is studying possible scenarios of how the Dnieper would flood the surrounding areas in the event of the destruction of the reservoir dams of its hydroelectric power system. As he said, the investigation focuses on the Kyiv and Kanyiv hydropower plants.
“There is no doubt that the Zelenskyi regime is planning a cynical provocation against its own population, (…) so that it can once again invent a story that it imposes on the international community and accuses our country of committing war crimes and ecocide. At the same time, he wants to beg for more help from the West and wants to cover up his own terrorist activities,” Zaharova insisted.
Referring to the calculations of the Kyiv center, the spokesperson said that in the event of an overflow of the water reservoir established near the Ukrainian capital, two thousand square kilometers, 76 settlements, including the districts of the Ukrainian capital, would be flooded. The number of victims would reach 900,000, most of whom would be citizens of Kyiv. As he said, in the case of the Kanyiv reservoir, the dam break would affect 4,000 square kilometers and 75,000 people, and the water would flood 177 settlements.
According to the Russian diplomat, in September-October 2022, the same center modeled the consequences of the explosion of the Kahovka hydropower plant.
The dam of the Kakovka hydropower plant – the lowest stage of the Dnieper power plant – collapsed on the night of June 6, 2023. Water from the reservoir flowed down the Dnieper River, flooding coastal towns and villages, including Russian-controlled Oleski and Nova Kahovka. According to a review by the RIA Novosti news agency, a state of emergency was declared in the part of the Kherson region annexed to Russia due to the ecological and humanitarian disaster. About nine thousand residents were evacuated from the disaster zone, 59 people lost their lives. The elimination of the main flood damage took several months.
Moscow blamed Kiev for the “terrorist attack”. According to the Ukrainian side, the dam was “blown up” by the Russian army.
2024-07-12 18:27:33