Shmyhal explains what happens if Russians open floodgates of Kakhovka HPP

The Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal said this at a government meeting on February 14.

"After 14 massive missile attacks on the Ukrainian energy system, the Russian forces are now trying to deprive Ukrainians of access to water supply. After the partial destruction and deliberate opening of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant's gateways by Russians, we are losing thousands of cubic meters of water every day. As a result, some of the settlements that receive water from the Dnipro River may be left without access to drinking water," he said. 

The prime minister also highlighted the nuclear threat, which is also a consequence of the lowered water level in the storage facility and may lead to improper functioning of the cooling systems of the occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP.

"The civilized world should not remain silent. Ukraine calls for all available means to put pressure on Russia to close the floodgates and restore hydraulic structures at the Kakhovka HPP. Or let Ukrainian specialists do it," Shmyhal emphasized.

• On February 12, the mayor of Nova Kakhovka, Volodymyr Kovalenko, expressed his concern on Espreso TV that the actions of the Russian forces at the Kakhovka HPP could lead to environmental disaster.