Kiev and Moscow, “almost 6,000 evacuated from flooded areas”
Nearly 6,000 people have been evacuated on both banks of the Dnipro River after floods caused by the destruction of the Russian-occupied Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine. This was stated by the Ukrainian and Russian authorities who each control one bank of the Dnipro. The dam’s destruction, for which Moscow and Kiev reject responsibility, has flooded towns and villages located on both banks of the river, including districts of the capital Kherson.
“The evacuation of the population continues in the Kherson region. Our rescuers, police and volunteers have already evacuated 1,894 citizens,” Ukrainian Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said on TV, specifying that 30 localities are flooded, including 10 in the area under the control of Russian forces. The pro-Russian authorities have for their part announced that they have evacuated “more than 4,000 people” in this phase.
“Inhabitants are settled in temporary centres. More than 4,000 people have been evacuated so far,” Kherson region governor Vladimir Saldo said on Telegram. On the Russian-controlled side, the main city affected is Nova Kakhovka near the dam, where water pumping will begin tomorrow, according to pro-Muscovite mayor Vladimir Leontiev.