Ancient oak boat found on Khortytsia after Dnipro River shallowing

This was reported on the Facebook page of the Khortytsia National Reserve.

During a survey on a previously flooded section of the shore, the reserve's employees found a long boat made of a single oak trunk, almost 7 meters long.

"Due to the environmental emergency and the drop in the water level in the Dnipro River as a result of the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, numerous historical and archeological monuments located in the flooded areas are under threat of destruction. To identify and rescue them, the staff of the Khortytsia National Reserve conducts daily monitoring of the coastal strip," the statement says. 

According to the press service, similar boats have been found off the coast of Khortytsia in the past, which were associated with an ancient Rus settlement on the island. It existed from the 10th to the 14th centuries. Such boats were used for fishing and other crafts, local transportation, and for servicing ferries.

"The boat was washed out of the sand and moved to the restoration hangar in parts. Now it needs urgent conservation in a special chemical solution and subsequent restoration to become a museum exhibit," the reserve says. 

They also suggest that the age of the boat can reach 500 years.

What we know about the blowing up of Kakhovka HPP and destruction of its dam

The Kakhovka HPP has been occupied by invading Russian forces since February 24 last year.

On October 20, 2022, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia was preparing to stage a new large-scale terrorist attack - to blow up the dam of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant in the Kherson region. At the same time, he listed other consequences of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant explosion. Later, the head of the Kherson City Military Administration, Halyna Luhova, addressed residents in connection with Russia's preparation of a terrorist attack on the Kakhovka HPP. She published an algorithm of actions to be taken in case of a dam blowing up.

On June 6, invading Russian troops blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, completely destroying it. As a result of the tragedy, settlements in the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions were flooded. For a detailed coverage of the events click here..

The United States is carefully studying the evidence in the case of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant explosion and destruction of its dam.