Destruction of the Kakhovka Dam

By 21 June, at least 58 people were reported to have died from the effects of the dam's destruction. 41 of the dead came from the Russian-occupied parts of Kherson Oblast,[2] while the rest came from Ukrainian-controlled territory in Kherson and Mykolaiv Oblast.[103][1]

The main flow path on the Dnieper River downstream of the Nova Kakhovka dam.

Wreckage washed into Black Sea (Odesa Oblast)

Before and after satellite images starkly show the extent of the flooding.[104][105][106][107]

The day after the dam's destruction, Ukraine's prosecutor general estimated that about 40,000 people located in Ukrainian- and Russian-controlled land were likely to be impacted by flooding.[108] The Ukrainian governor of Kherson Oblast, Oleksandr Prokudin, said that about 600 square kilometres (230 sq mi) of the region was underwater and that 68 percent of the flooded territory was on the Russian-controlled side.[109]

The flooding along the Dnieper also resulted in a backflow along its right-bank tributary, the Inhulets River, causing flooding in Kherson as well as in Mykolaiv Oblast.[110][111]

The National Police of Ukraine ordered an evacuation in the Ukrainian-controlled western bank of the Dnieper, including Mykolaivka, Olhivka, Lvove, Tiahynka, Poniativka, Ivanivka, Tokarivka, Prydniprovske, Sadove and the Korabel Island district of Kherson city. The governor of Kherson Oblast, Oleksandr Prokudin, told Ukrainian TV on the morning of 6 June that eight villages had been flooded, and that evacuations by bus and train were ongoing for 16,000 residents in the affected areas.[32]

According to the Ukrainian ground forces, the Russian army continued to shell the right bank during the evacuation.[112] On 7 June, Zelenskyy alleged to Politico Europe that Russian forces were murdering rescuers working at the site of the flood.[113] Three people were killed after Russian forces opened fire on an evacuation boat on 12 June.[114]

In Russian-controlled Nova Kakhovka by the eastern end of the dam, 22,000 people live in flood risk areas, and 600 houses were reported to have been flooded. A state of emergency on the left bank of the river was declared by Russian authorities.[115][116] On the morning of 6 June, Andrey Alekseyenko, acting head of the Russian-installed Kherson military-civilian administration, reported on Telegram that fourteen localities were on the area on risk of flooding on the Russian-controlled bank of the river: Bilohrudove, Dnipriany, Hola Prystan, Kardashynka, Kokhany, Korsunka, Kozachi Laheri, Krynky, Mala Kardashynka, Oleshky, Pishchanivka, Solontsi, Stara Zburyivka and Zabaryne, as well as the islands of the lower Dnieper.[117]

Ukrainian authorities said an evacuation of 17,000 people was underway from the territories under Ukrainian control, with 24 villages flooded.[118]

The Ukrainian Environment Ministry reported on 25 June that the Dnipro had returned to its normal banks.[119]

Mediterranean gulls breeding in the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve. Around half the global population of this bird nests here on low islands, and are likely to lose their 2023 breeding season in the flooding.

A number of wildlife habitats were flooded.[120]

Some 300 animals at the Fairytale Dibrova Zoo drowned in the disaster. The zoo was just downstream and to the west of the dam. In the immediate aftermath, Russian news agency TASS falsely[121] claimed the zoo did not even exist[122] before backtracking and admitting that there was a zoo but insisted all animals were safe.[123]

A video showing locals having to move cattle and pets through floods was widely distributed on social media.[116][124][125][126]

The Red Cross warned that minefields were washed away. Erik Tollefsen, head of Red Cross's weapons section, said:

"We knew where the hazards were ... Now we don't know. All we know is that they are somewhere downstream."[127]

Former minister of ecology Ostap Semerak said that this was the biggest environmental catastrophe in Ukraine since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.[128]

The Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group issued a report that detailed the environmental devastation.[11][15]

Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said on 20 June, "More than 50,000 hectares (120,000 acres) of Ukrainian forests have been flooded and at least half of them (trees) will die. This is more than the area of forests in Iceland." He also said that the Kakhovka Reservoir was covered with 95,000 tons of dead fish.[129]

The Velykyi Luh National Nature Park, a protected area consisting of 13 islands in the northeastern part of the Kakhovka Reservoir was completely drained, raising fears of a drought, while water levels decreased by approximately 13 meters in the Kamianska Sich National Park, according to the Ukrainian Environment Ministry.[119]

The release of chemicals such as ammonia and bacteria such as salmonella, E. coli and cholera into the Dnipro-Buh Delta and the Black Sea following the dam's destruction led to beach closures and fishing bans across Odesa and Mykolaiv Oblasts. Authorities said the contamination of those areas had turned them into "garbage dumps" and "animal cemeteries."[130]

In the weeks following the dam's destruction, Ukraine claimed that outbreaks of intestinal diseases such as cholera had broken out in Russian-occupied areas of Kherson Oblast and Crimea, adding that several Russian soldiers had died as a result.[131][132]

According to ecologist Alexey Vasilyuk, for decades industrial waste from Zaporizhzhia, including a huge amount of heavy metals, settled in the mud at the bottom of the Kakhovka Reservoir since there was no flow to disturb it. Now, the current in the river raises this waste into the water column and moves it downstream. Also, the area that used to be at the bottom of the reservoir but has now dried out will begin to be blown away by the wind, allowing these metals to be absorbed into plants that people and animals eat. Vaslyuk advises that the sowing of grasses in these bare areas will help prevent dispersion of these metals.[133]

The flooding was widely expected to hinder a planned Ukrainian counteroffensive by making it harder for the Ukrainian army to cross the Dnieper River into Russian-occupied territory.[134][135] Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-installed governor of occupied Kherson, said the breach would help Russian forces defend the area, saying, "In military terms, the situation has worked out in a way that is operationally and tactically in favour of Russian forces".[136]

Many analysts noted that the breach, which eliminated the road on the dam, left only the Antonivsky Bridge in Kherson city as a paved river crossing.[41] Former Ukraine defence minister Andrii Zahorodniuk said, "It effectively makes crossing the river in that area impossible...Even conducting operations in that whole area will be much more difficult."[137] On 2 July, 70 Ukrainian soldiers landed under the Russian-controlled end of the Antonivskyi Bridge on the left bank of the Dnipro river, in the first crossing since the dam's destruction.[138][139][140]

Analysts also noted that floodwaters would make the soil on the Russian side of the river swampy for weeks to come, preventing its use by heavy machinery such as tanks. The increased difficulty of moving forces in the area would help secure the Russian southern flank, freeing up military resources to repel Ukraine's offensive in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.[41][141][142]

Furthermore, the civil emergency could be expected to drain resources that could otherwise have been used by Ukraine in the war.[143]

Five days after the breach, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said on 11 June that Russian forces were transferring their most combat-capable forces from Kherson to Bakhmut, adding that Russia likely destroyed the dam to shorten its defensive lines in Kherson ahead of the Ukrainian counteroffensive.[144][145] But four days later, the Institute for the Study of War said that they had not yet observed Russian elements moving from Kherson to Bakhmut.[146]

The UK Defense Ministry said on 19 June that over the previous 10 days Russia had moved elements of its Dnipro Group of Forces from the eastern bank of the Dnieper River to reinforce the Zaporizhzhia and Bakhmut sectors, and that this likely reflects Russia's perception that a major Ukrainian attack across the Dnieper had become less likely.[147][148]

Retired U.S. general David Petraeus said on June 6 that the breach would cause no "military implications that are particularly large" because "the period of time that this is under water restricts the trafficability and so forth, but over time that will clear up."[149] Petraeus said that as the flood waters recede, the river will actually become shallower and easier to cross.[150][lower-alpha 3] He also said that this event will not prove to be a decisive hindrance to Ukraine. "I think they are going to crack the Russians. I think the Russians will prove to be quite brittle."[149]

Before the breach, the Kakhovka Reservoir was 5–20 km (3.1–12.4 mi) wide, and quite difficult for an army to cross. As of 20 June, satellite images show that it has reverted to a river 500–1,000 m (1,600–3,300 ft) wide with the flood plain on either side rapidly drying out.[151][152] In some places it seems that it could be possible to cross the Dnieper River in a 4WD.[153] It has been asserted that the Ukrainian military could take advantage of this, and of the fact that the Russians have moved troops from that area to buttress their forces in Zaporizhzhia and the Donbas, to cross the Dnieper by assault.[153] In addition, the Ukrainians control the dams and reservoirs on the Dnieper upstream from Kakhovka, and could choose to hold more water there to dry up the river downstream and make it easier to cross.[154]

Kakhovka Reservori on 7 June 2022 (top) and 18 June 2023 (bottom)

Satellite images showing the Dnipro River at Kherson on 1 and 9 June 2023

Water from the dam reservoir supplies Southern Ukraine, Crimea, and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. As floods affected water pipes in Southern Ukraine, President Zelenskyy said that hundreds of thousands of people do not have "normal access to drinking water" in the region. Residents were urged to boil water for potential contamination.[155] The United Nations later estimated that about 700,000 people in the area were in need of clean drinking water,[156] while over a million people in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast alone were expected to face water shortages.[119]

A minimum water level in the Kakhovka Reservoir of 12.7 m (42 ft) is needed to provide cooling water for the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. However there are several alternative sources adequate for essential cooling water while the reactors are in their current shutdown state. The International Atomic Energy Agency Director General said "Our current assessment is that there is no immediate risk to the safety of the plant".[157]

The head of Ukraine's hydropower generating company Ukrhydroenergo announced that the water level had dropped below the "dead" point of 12.7 m (42 ft), meaning that water could no longer be withdrawn for settlements and for the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. How low it could go would depend on whether the lower part of the dam had been destroyed to its base. If so, the water level would reach about 3 m (9.8 ft) and the width of the reservoir would decrease from 3.5 km (2.2 mi) to 1–1.2 km (0.62–0.75 mi).[158] Initially, the water level was reported to fall 0.35 m (1 ft 2 in) per hour. Twenty-four hours after the breach, the water level at Nikopol had fallen 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) and stood at 14.41 m (47.3 ft).[159] After 48 hours the level was 13.05 m (42.8 ft).[160] Ukrhydroenergo announced on 26 June that the Kakhovka Reservoir had become "catastrophically" shallow. The average level of the lower pool near the dam was 12.88 m (42.3 ft). On 25 June the average depth of the reservoir was 7–8 m (23–26 ft), and could go to 3 m (9.8 ft).[161] According to the Ukrainian Hydromedical Center the Dnipro River water level at Kherson had returned to its level before the dam was destroyed.[162] Before the destruction of the dam the water level was over 17 m (56 ft).[163]

Oleksandr Kubrakov, Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine, announced on 3 July that Ukraine had begun the construction from scratch of three pipelines totaling almost 150 km (93 mi) in order to supply drinking water to more than 1 million people from Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Mykolayiv, and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts.[164][165] He announced that ₴1.5 billion (US$41M)[166] had been allocated to this from the Fund for Dealing with the Aftermath of Armed Aggression,[165] which as of 15 May had a total of ₴61.6 billion (US$1.6B).

8 August 2023 satellite photo of the now-dried-up reservoir

Ukrhydroenergo also announced that it was working on a project to build an "overlay" across the dam and hydroelectric station that would restore water levels to the levels before the explosion.[167][168] The overlay project would start once Russian forces leave the east side of the Dnieper and would be expected to take two months.[167] Conversely, according to the Russian-installed governor of Kherson Vladimir Saldo, any restoration work on the dam and power plant will be performed by the Russian side, and only after Ukrainian troops are pushed away to a safe distance.[169] There has been no announcement of a resolution to this impasse.

On 21 June, satellite images revealed that the reservoir had significantly dried up, exposing shallower parts, revealing the original course of the Dnipro and leading to the disconnection of four canal networks.[170][171] As of 20 June, the reservoir's water surface area had shrunk to 509.2 km² (196.6 sq mi), less than a quarter of its former area.[172]

A number of new wells are being dug to provide for the local water needs. According to Andriy Volodin, who is overseeing the work of digging new wells, after the water drained from the reservoir the water table in the area fell dramatically. Before the dam was destroyed, wells would reach groundwater at 38 m (125 ft) but by September they had to drill 60–70 m (200–230 ft). According to Volodin, "The weight of the Kakhovka Reservoir used to push the water up toward the surface. Now the pressure is gone, and it has receded." He said that the water from these wells, though a bit salty, will suffice for irrigation.[173]

The North Crimean Canal provides 85% of Crimea's fresh water.[174]

The North Crimean Canal, normally active from March until December,[175] is more than 400 km (250 mi) long[176] and has traditionally supplied 85% of Crimea's water.[177] Up to 80% of this water was used in agriculture and 60% of that was used for rice farming and pond fish farming.[154] The southern coast around Sevastopol has its own water resources, so canal water is mostly needed in central and northern Crimea.[154] After the Russian takeover of Crimea in 2014, Ukraine blocked the canal, claiming that Crimea had accumulated a huge debt for water supplied the previous year.[178] This resulted in eight years of halted water flow, and was only unblocked in March 2022 after the Russians gained control of Kherson Oblast. Land used for farming shrank from 450,000 to 15,000 hectares (1,112,000 to 37,000 acres), and rice and buckwheat cultivation had to be stopped.[154]

The canal begins at Tavriisk, where the water intake is just upstream from the destroyed dam.[179] The Russian-installed mayor of Nova Kakhovka said that the dam's destruction would cause "problems" with water supplies to Crimea from the North Crimean Canal.[87] According to Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin's press secretary, the dam's destruction was a "calculated Ukrainian attempt to choke off water supplies" to Crimea.[177][180] "Clearly one of the aims of this act of sabotage was to deprive Crimea of water—the water level in the reservoir is dropping and, accordingly, the water supply to the canal is being drastically reduced," he said.[181][182] The Crimean occupation authority said that there was "no threat of the North Crimean Canal losing water".[182][183] The reservoirs on the peninsula were filled to about 80% according to Sergey Aksyonov, the head of the Russian-annexed, but internationally unrecognised, Republic of Crimea.[177][184][185]

On 10 June 2023 the Institute for the Study of War referenced a Russian video reportedly showing that the North Crimean Canal had become dry,[186][187] contradicting the recent Russian statements that there was no threat of the canal losing water. The Ukrainians accused the Russians of not having a clear plan on how to solve the problem, and trying to avoid the issue and resorting to propaganda in order to prevent panic among the local population instead of working in terms of infrastructure.[188]

Ihor Syrota, the head of Ukraine's hydro electric company Ukrhydroenergo, said on 12 June 2023 that given that the water level in the Kakhovka Reservoir is much lower than the intake level of the North Crimean Canal, water would not flow to Crimea through the canal "for at least a year".[189]

According to Christopher Binnie, a water engineer specializing in dams and water resources development, "Pumping for water supply to the Crimea could restart fairly soon."[58] Sergey Aksyonov said that by installing pumps on the Dnieper River, up to 40 m³/sec could be supplied to the canal, and that this would improve the situation.[154]

The normal flow rate of water in the North Crimean Canal seems to be subject to some disagreement, but according to the Ukrainian State Agency for Water Resources the normal water flow rate in the head of the canal is 82 m³/sec.[190] Concurring roughly with this is Agribusiness Global (90 m³/sec),[191] so the proposed rate by pumping would result in half the normal rate. Water flows through the North Crimean Canal by gravity until it reaches the Dzhankoi district, where it meets the first of a series of pumping stations that must pump it uphill. The first pumping station has a capacity of about 70 m³/sec.[192] According to First Deputy Prime Minister of Russian-annexed Crimea, Rustam Temirgaliyev in 2014, the normal flow of water through the North Crimean Canal was 50 m³/sec.[193] A number of other sources also report this figure.[178][194][195][196][197][198] Euromaidan Press reports 294 m³/sec[175] as does another source.[199] On the high end is a source reporting 380 m³/sec, with 80 m³/sec of this going to Kherson and the remainder going to Crimea.[200]

According to a 2023 study, in the early 1990s annual water flows into the canal from the reservoir reached 3.5 km³, but a more economical use of water reduced this to 1.5 km³, of which 0.5 km³ were used in the Kherson region and 1.0 km³ in Crimea. In 2014, after the annexation of Crimea, this was reduced to 0.5 km³, according to the study.[201] 1.5 km³ is the amount of water that would result from a flow of 47.5 m³/sec for one year. According to a 2017 study in a Russian journal, in 2013, the total water intake of Crimea amounted to 1,553.78 million m³, of which 86.65% came from the North Crimean Canal, 8.78% from local runoff, 4.41% from underground water, and 0.16% from seawater.[202] This means that 1,346.35 million m³ came from the canal, which translates to a flow rate of 42.7 m³/sec during 2013, according to this source. If 1⁄3 of the water entering the North Crimean Canal was distributed in Kherson, as indicated by the 2023 study, and 1,346.35 million m³ arrived in Crimea, then this indicates a water flow into the canal during 2013 of 64 m³/sec.

The average flow in the Dnieper River is about 1,670 m³/sec.[203] The amount of water flowing past the intake point of the North Crimean Canal is regulated by the five reservoirs upstream on the Dnieper River, all controlled by Ukraine. Two major canals take in water upstream from the North Crimean Canal, from what was originally the Kakhovka Reservoir: the Kakhovsky Canal and the Dnieper-Kryvyi Rih canal.[204] Also taking water from the former Kakhovka Reservoir were various minor irrigation systems, freshwater fish farms, and systems supplying water to cities such as Zaporizhzhia. The total withdrawal of water from the Kakhovka Reservoir just for large canals was estimated at 900 m³/sec.[205]

The area that had been irrigated by the Kakhovka Reservoir typically receives 100—120 mm (4–5 inches) of rainfall during the summer growing season, which is ordinarily not enough for all crops to thrive unless irrigated.[206] Before the Dnieper River was dammed to create the Kakhovka reservoir, most of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia were arid areas.[207] According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Agriculture, the destruction of the dam will leave 584,000 hectares (1,440,000 acres; 5,840 km²; 2,250 sq mi) of land without irrigation, turning them into "deserts". In 2021, farmers harvested from this land about 4 million tons of grains and oilseeds, representing about 4% of Ukraine's grains and oilseeds production. Ninety-four percent of the irrigation systems in Kherson, 74% of those in Zaporizhzhia and 30% of those in Dnipro regions will be without water.[208][209] Even without the disaster, Ukraine's grains and oilseeds production was expected to be down 8% from the output of 2022, and down 36% from the output of 2021 (the year before the war began), according to the Ukrainian Grain Association.[210][211]

Oleksandr Krasnolutskyi, Ukraine's deputy minister of environmental protection and natural resources,[212] stated that the floodwater has washed away the topsoil layers from thousands of hectares of farms and arable lands. "We will not be able to cultivate agricultural plants on this soil for many years ahead," he said.[213]

Ukraine is in no danger of famine. Before the war Ukraine harvested 50 million tons of grain but the domestic need was only 20 million tons. The dam disaster, however, will lead to lower farming revenue for Ukraine and could result in food shortages on world markets and potentially famine in poor countries that rely on Ukrainian grain exports.[207][214]

The Ukrainian government has announced financial assistance for farmers affected by the dam destruction in the amount of ₴3,318 (US$90)[215] for a vegetable harvest loss of 0.01 hectares (0.025 acres), with a maximum of 0.2 hectares (0.49 acres) in the Mykolaiv region and 0.3 hectares (0.74 acres) in the Kherson region.[216]

In an interview on 13 July 2023 Mykola Solskyi, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, stated that as a result of draining the Kakhovka Reservoir 11,400 tons of fish were lost, worth ₴9.8 billion[217] (US$267M).[218] He said that 85 fisheries were destroyed: 49 in the Kakhovka Reservoir and 36 in the Dnieper-Bug estuary.[217] The Kakhovka Reservoir served as a habitat to at least 43 fish species, 20 of which have commercial importance (with annual catches up to 2,600 tons). It has been estimated that it would take at least 7–10 years to restore the lost fish stocks.[15]

The destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant has resulted in the loss of 350 MW of hydro-generation capacity in the region,[58] which is enough to power 350,000 typical European homes.[219]

In March 2023 (prior to the destruction of the dam) a joint assessment was released by the Government of Ukraine, the World Bank, the European Commission, and the United Nations, estimating the total cost of reconstruction and recovery in Ukraine to be US$411 billion (€383 billion).[220][221] This could eventually exceed US$1 trillion (€911 billion), depending on the course of the war.[222]

Ivan Perehinets, a department head at Ukraine's Academy of Construction, said in an interview on 19 June with Ukrainian Radio that it would cost US$60–70 billion (€55-64 billion) to restore housing and infrastructure in Kherson Oblast that was damaged by the destruction of the dam, and that reconstruction efforts would take 5–10 years and require 1.5 million workers.[223]

Ruslan Strilets, Ukrainian Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, said on 21 June that the destruction of the dam caused an initial US$1.5 billion[224] of damage, and also warned that Russian mines released by flooding could float onto the shores of other European countries.[225] A separate estimate by the Ukrainian Agriculture Ministry tallied damage to water reclamation systems and canals at ₴150–160 billion (US$4.1–4.3 billion).[224] According to an analysis by the Kyiv School of Economics the direct losses caused by the dam collapse amounted to at least US$2 billion, with indirect costs adding much more.[226][227] The United Nations later estimated the total amount of damage at about $14 billion, with the immediate damage associated with the initial destruction and flooding costing about $2.79 billion to infrastructure alone.[228]

The use of Russian frozen assets to pay these costs is being considered but institutions such as the European Central Bank insist that the eurozone's financial stability, as well as the strength of its common currency, depend on stabilizing mechanisms such as sovereign immunity and the various international treaties that are in place, and finding a way to confiscate the frozen assets without violating such principles and treaties has proven to be elusive.[229][230]

The Ukrainian Ministry of Reintegration reported on 23 August that the government had allocated ₴4.6 billion (US$124 million) towards reconstruction measures for the Kakhovka dam, adding that around ₴1.3 billion (US$35 million) had been allocated to the reconstruction of damaged and destroyed homes in the flood zone. The Ministry said that the funds would enable affected residents to "have the resources to repair their homes before winter". More than 340 applications for compensation for crop losses were submitted and payments of Hr 2.7 million had been established.[231]

Ukraine has begun the second stage of the "e‑Restore" program, designed to compensate residents for housing destroyed or damaged during the war.[232] The first stage, begun in May 2023, was limited to ₴200,000 per house[233] (US$5,400),[234] and 1,400 applicants received ₴114 million[232] (US$3.1 million).[235] The second stage, begun 18 July, will not have restrictions on the amount of compensation but certain limitations apply,[232] and the amount to be compensated will be calculated according to a specific formula.[236] Stage two was described as a "beta test" and will only be operational in two villages in the Kyiv region,[232] but if successful it could be expanded to regions affected by the flooding when the dam collapsed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, "The destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam by Russian terrorists only confirms for the whole world that they must be expelled from every corner of Ukrainian land."[251] Andriy Yermak, the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, called the destruction of the dam "ecocide".[252] The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "We call on the international community to resolutely condemn the Russian terrorist attack on the Kakhovka HPP (Hydroelectric Power Plant)", calling for a UNSC session and a meeting with the IAEA.[253] Ukraine's Prosecutor General said it was investigating the destruction as a war crime.[250]

Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba criticized the international media for initially presenting the Ukrainian and Russian claims as equally credible, arguing that this "put facts and propaganda on [an] equal footing."[254]

Former Ukrainian Minister of Ecology Ostap Semerak said: "This will have an impact on Romania, Georgia, Turkey, and Bulgaria. It will be harmful for all the region. Our government has announced this is the biggest environmental catastrophe in Europe over the past 10 years, and I think it may be the worst in Ukraine since Chornobyl in 1986."[255]

Russian authorities blamed Ukraine, and Russian president Vladimir Putin called it "a barbaric act which has led to a large-scale environmental and humanitarian catastrophe".[256] Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called it a "sabotage" as a result of the Ukrainian armed forces "not achieving their goals".[52][257] Minister of Defence Sergey Shoigu said that Ukraine blew up the dam to "prevent Russian offensive in this sector of the front".[258] Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-installed governor of occupied Kherson oblast, said the dam breach "is operationally and tactically in favour of Russian forces".[259] TASS reported that flooding made a Ukrainian crossing of the Dnieper impossible.[260] Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the incident should be subject to a "worldwide study, research and investigation" and accused the West of having an "endless desire to blame Russia for everything".[261] On 13 June Putin once again spoke on the subject and stated that the destruction of the dam "thwarted Ukrainian offensive", and further suggested past HIMARS strikes were responsible for the disaster.[262]

António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, called the collapse "another devastating consequence of the Russian invasion of Ukraine", and said "Attacks against civilians and critical civilian infrastructure must stop."[263] NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called the event "outrageous" and said it showed "the brutality of Russia's war in Ukraine".[264] European Council President Charles Michel called the blowing up of a hydroelectric power plant a war crime on the part of Russia.[265] The Council of Europe stated: "We condemn in the strongest terms the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in the Kherson region of Ukraine".[266]

President of Romania Klaus Iohannis condemned the destruction of the dam and referred to it as "another war crime by Russia against innocent civilians". He also called for Russia to be held accountable and expressed his sympathy with the victims.[267] The Moldovan President Maia Sandu and Prime Minister Dorin Recean condemned the incident and said Moldova was ready to provide help to Ukraine to mitigate the flood damage.[268] German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said "this is aggression by the Russian side to stop the Ukrainian offensive".[269] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic said Russia's actions were "deliberately endangering the lives of tens of thousands" of civilians and "must be condemned and punished".[270] British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said it was too early to definitively say Russia was responsible for the breach, and that British intelligence agencies were investigating the cause.[271][272] British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who was in Ukraine at the time, said "the only reason this is an issue at all is because of Russia's unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine."[273] France's Emmanuel Macron said it was an "atrocious act". France also said it was delivering aid including water purifiers, 500,000 water purification tablets and hygiene kits to assist people displaced by the disaster.[274] The German Marshall Fund released a report[275] on 21 June 2023 saying that Russia has launched an "aggressive" propaganda campaign to blame Ukraine for the Kakhovka Dam collapse.[276]

China's permanent representative to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, called "on all parties to the conflict to abide by international humanitarian law and do their utmost to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure."[277] Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's office said after the call with Zelenskyy that "a commission could be established with the participation of experts from the warring parties, the United Nations and the international community, including Turkey, for a detailed investigation into the explosion at Kakhovka dam."[256]