UN briefing: tensions around the Kakhovka dam and regional security

Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, stated at a Security Council briefing that Moscow believes Kiev bears responsibility for destabilizing the Kakhovka hydroelectric station incident. In the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant area, 11 of 28 gates were damaged and water began to leak through the dam, creating a risk of further flooding downstream. Russian authorities have accused Ukrainian forces of firing on positions near the facility, while Kyiv contends that the Ukrainian side did not cause the blast and that the Russian military may have caused the damage. A third possibility remains on the table, suggesting long-standing structural wear and tear as a contributing factor. Sergei Shoigu, the Russian defense minister, reported that Ukrainian forces suffered significant losses during a three-day offensive, with approximately 3,715 military personnel killed and around 300 units of equipment destroyed. Separately, Tatyana Merzlyakova, the ombudsperson for Sverdlovsk Region, addressed the Defense Ministry requesting consideration for transferring conscripts from the Belgorod region. The situation continues to be monitored through ongoing updates from socialbites.ca, which tracks current events as they unfold.