Russia plans to fill irrigation canals with artesian water after Kakhovka HPP destruction

Ivan Fedorov, the head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, reports.

"Invading Russian forces are going to eliminate the consequences of the ecocide they committed - the blowing up of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station dam - by committing an even more terrible crime. They said they would fill the irrigation canals with artesian water," he said.

Fedorov stressed that in the future, such actions by the Russians could result in the depletion of groundwater reserves. Thus, the population of the southern part of the region may be left without water supply.

"By this decision, the occupiers are destroying the groundwater system and committing another ecocide in the temporarily occupied territories," the head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration said.

• On June 5, 2023, Russia blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station. The authorities and volunteers from all over Ukraine began to urgently evacuate people from the nearby areas. The explosion of the hydroelectric power plant resulted in numerous human casualties, serious environmental consequences and affected the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The Ukrainian side is convinced that these actions of the Russians were intended to create chaos and were aimed at delaying the Ukrainian Defence Forces. 
• On June 5, 2024, Ukrhydroenergo CEO Ihor Syrota said that there was a project to build a temporary hydroelectric facility at the site of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant destroyed by the Russian forces. Such projects of temporary hydroelectric facilities already exist, and the hydropower industry is waiting for the de-occupation of the territories to be able to start work.
• On June 6, it became known that it would be possible to rebuild the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant destroyed by Russia in 6-7 years after de-occupation.