Beijing has voiced serious concern about the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric dam’s breach and its environmental repercussions, indicating the issue was raised during a United Nations Security Council session. The statement stressed the gravity of the dam’s collapse and its potential impact on nearby ecosystems and communities, as reported by TASS.
The speaker highlighted that protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure should be a priority for all parties involved in the Ukraine conflict, urging adherence to international humanitarian law and urging efforts to minimize harm to noncombatants and essential facilities.
In a separate address, the former Russian ambassador to the United Nations cautioned the Security Council against repeating past missteps during investigations into incidents at the dam site. The warning touched on parallels with previous controversial episodes and stressed the importance of objective inquiry free from political manipulation.
On the night of June 6, the upper portion of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station was breached in the Kherson region, near Novaya Kakhovka. The breach precipitated flooding in numerous settlements, including Kherson and New Kakhovka, with residents facing a sudden escalation in risk and displacement as water levels rose rapidly.
Shifts in responsibility followed, with both Russia and Ukraine blaming each other for the dam’s failure. An alternative theory circulated that the disaster resulted from long-standing structural damage. Ukrhidroenergo declared the station destroyed beyond repair, stressing the magnitude of the destruction and its irreversible consequences for the region’s energy and water management systems, along with broader ecological damage. [attribution: TASS]