55,000 hectares of forest at risk of flooding after Kakhovka HPP explosion

This was reported by Yuriy Bolokhovets, acting director general of Forests of Ukraine state enterprise.

"The consequences are glaring. Approximately 55,000 hectares of forests are flooded, of which 47,000 hectares are Russian-occupied territories," he wrote.

According to him, it is difficult to estimate the damage, but it is already quite obvious that the pine forests that line the left bank of the Kherson region will be destroyed. This is especially true for young trees under 10 years old. At the same time, according to Bolokhovets, most animals are also doomed to die.

"Perhaps some will manage to cling to an island of land, but the vast majority will simply be carried away by the current into the open sea. These are deer, roe deer, wild boars. Lizards, snakes, hares, hedgehogs have no chance," he wrote.

He also predicted the flooding of the Kinburn Spit Regional Landscape Park, where the water could reach 50 hours after the dam collapse.

Bolokhovets recalled that 150 tonnes of machine oil had fallen into the Dnipro. When oil settles on plants, it leads to irreversible consequences in the process of photosynthesis.

"This is ecocide. And Russia is a terrorist country. The enemy must be held accountable for this," said the acting director general of the Forests of Ukraine state enterprise. 

• As a result of the explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station, the zoo in occupied Nova Kakhovka was flooded. All animals died.