Russia mined Kakhovka HPP dam last year and Ukraine was ready for blast – Zelenskyy

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this during a meeting with journalists.

"Everyone realized that Russia had mined the dam last year. If something is mined, then we do not control it for sure and there may be a moment when there will be an explosion and there will be consequences," he said.

The President noted that the authorities had understood the risks in advance, so the rescue teams had been prepared. The Interior Ministry was preparing for such a situation, and the Prime Minister understood what would happen. Therefore, he said, everyone knew what to do.

"The situation is very difficult. We understand that 35 to 80 settlements will be flooded. We understand that there will be huge problems with drinking water in the Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions," Zelenskyy said.

However, the president added that the exact consequences will be clear after the water recedes.

• On Tuesday, June 6, Russian occupation forces blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, completely destroying it. Evacuation of residents from dangerous areas began, and the President of Ukraine convened an emergency meeting of the Security and Defense Council. For a detailed account of the events, follow this link.