Russia has blown up Kakhovka HPP to relocate troops to Zaporizhzhia direction - Deputy Defense Minister Pavliuk

Ukraine’s First Deputy Minister of Defense Lieutenant General Oleksandr Pavliuk made the statement on the United News telethon.

He confirmed that the decision to blow up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant was driven by Russia’s intention to disrupt the Ukrainian Defense Forces' counteroffensive.

"Given that they could not fully understand our plans, I think they aimed to secure their left flank. That is, by blowing up the dam, they created a barrier line and thus prevented our offensive from that side. This allowed them to redeploy a portion of their forces towards the Zaporizhzhia direction to confront our advancing group," noted Pavliuk.

The Deputy Defense Minister also explained that Russian troops had to block the Kherson direction as much as possible, as they lack sufficient forces and resources to halt the Ukrainian offensive.

According to him, Ukrainian intelligence saw signs of preparations for the explosion, but it was impossible to counteract it since the dam was controlled by Russian troops. Pavliuk also emphasized that they showed disregard for the loss of personnel and positions.

• On June 10, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that counteroffensive and defensive actions were already taking place in Ukraine, without specifying the current stage. He further emphasized that people will strongly feel the impact of these actions.

• As of June 12, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have successfully recaptured the villages of Blahodatne, Neskuchne, and Makarivka, located near the border of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. Additionally, Novodarivka in the Zaporizhzhia direction and Storozhove in the Donetsk region have been liberated.