Zelenskyy says Kakhovka HPP destruction shows that Russians realised they would have to flee from Crimea

Zelenskyy stated this in his evening address, reports Espreso.

"The disaster at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant caused by Russian terrorists will not stop Ukraine and Ukrainians. We will still liberate all our land. And each Russian act of terrorism increases only the amount of reparations that Russia will pay for its crimes, not the chances of the occupiers to stay on our land," Zelenskyy said.

He thanked the rescuers, the military, representatives of local hromadas (basic unit of administrative division in Ukraine), regions that are helping people from the southern areas flooded as a result of the Russian terrorist attack.

"The government at all levels is doing everything to save people and provide drinking water to those who received it from the Kakhovka reservoir. Kryvyi Rih and the entire Dnipropetrovsk region, cities and villages in Kherson, Mykolaiv and Zaporizhzhia regions – no matter how difficult it is, we have to help people," Zelenskyy emphasised.

The president assured that the whole world will know about this Russian ecocide crime.

"This deliberate destruction of the dam and other HPP facilities by the Russian occupiers is an environmental bomb of mass destruction. For the sake of their own security, the world should now show that Russia will not get away with such terror. And I am grateful to all leaders and states, all nations and international organisations that have supported Ukraine and are ready to help our people and our de-occupation efforts," Zelenskyy added.

He emphasised that only complete liberation of the Ukrainian land from the Russian occupiers will guarantee that no more such terrorist attacks will occur in the future.

"Russia uses anything for terror – any object. The terrorist state must lose. The fact that Russia deliberately destroyed the Kakhovka reservoir, which is critically important, in particular, for providing water to Crimea, indicates that the Russian occupiers have already realised that they will have to flee Crimea as well. Well, Ukraine will get back everything that belongs to it. And it will make Russia pay for what it has done," Zelenskyy believes.

Separately, the president celebrated the heroes on the Bakhmut front.

"Well done, warriors! The 3rd separate assault brigade and the 57th separate motorised infantry brigade – thank you! Thank you for moving forward!" said Zelenskyy.

• On Tuesday, 6 June, Russian occupation forces blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, which completely destroyed it. Evacuation of residents of dangerous areas began, and the President of Ukraine convened an emergency meeting of the Security and Defenсe Council, while the world began to respond en masse to the tragedy. For a detailed summary of the events, click here.

• The President of Ukraine held a meeting of the Supreme military commanders, where they discussed the situation at the front line, the readiness for a counteroffensive and Russian’s blowing up of the Kakhovka HPP. 

• Zelenskyy emphasised that the Russian Federation mined the HPP dam last year and Ukraine was ready for an explosion.

• In addition, Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed the consequences of blowing up the HPP and the risks for the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant with the head of the IAEA and invited him to visit Ukraine.