Causes.com
| 6.8.23
Thousands in Russia and Ukraine Displaced After Kakhovka Dam Collapsed
Do you think the U.S. should be doing more to help Ukraine?
Updated June 8, 2023
- The Kakhovka hydroelectric dam, controlled by Russia, collapsed on Tuesday, forcing thousands of residents near the Dnipro River in southern Ukraine to flee from flooding. An estimated 16,000 Ukrainians are being affected by the disaster.
- Rescue workers continue to work to pull people from the aftermath. Meanwhile, Russian forces launched around 70 attacks on the Kherson region since the dam broke, according to Oleksandr Prokudin, the head of the regional military administration. Prokudin, who was forced to flee his home with his family, said:
"The Russians have hit the dam, and didn't think of the consequences. They should not be forgiven."
- At least four Russian villages also flooded. President Volodymyr Zelensky said:
"[H]undreds of thousands of people have been left without normal access to drinking water."
- Amidst the war, tension between Ukraine and Russia has increased, with both sides blaming each other for the breach. Ukraine said there was an engine room explosion done by what Zelensky called "Russian terrorists." Russia claimed that the dam collapsed because of Ukrainian "sabotage."
What’s the story?
- Water levels are far below normal for this time of year at Kakhovka Reservoir in southern Ukraine, primarily due to draining from a Russian-controlled hydroelectric power plant.
- Since early Nov., Russia has been depleting the reservoir by keeping the sluice gates open at its power plant at the lower end, causing a water crisis in Ukraine.
The Kakhovka Reservoir
- The reservoir is a large, manufactured lake that is the final pool in Ukraine's network of water courses. The reservoir has been a crucial source of water for Ukraine for decades and is “very important locally,” according to Brian Kuns, a geographer at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
- At this time of year, water levels should rapidly rise from winter snowmelt and early spring rainfall. Because of Russia's actions, the reservoir's levels have plummeted to the lowest point in decades.
- In Nov. 2022, Russian troops blew up a road over the hydroelectric dam which controls the reservoir's levels. Immediately following the detonation, Russian forces opened the sluice gates, allowing water to rush out of the pool.
What’s at stake?
- The Kakhovka Reservoir is critical to Ukraine, supplying drinking water for hundreds of thousands of residents, irrigation for around half a million acres of farmland, and the cooling system for the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. A network of canals leading from the reservoir irrigates farmland that grows sunflowers, grain, and vegetables.
- The Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration released a statement warning that several cities could face water shortages, including Enerhodar, Melitopol, and Berdyansk, which are under Russian occupation.
- David Helms, a retired U.S. government meteorologist, said he believes Russia’s actions have a clear intended outcome of hurting the country. As the reservoir is depleted and agriculture is at stake, Russia could significantly damage Ukraine’s economy, which is highly dependent on agricultural exports.
- Kuns is less sure of Russia’s intent, as the most affected agricultural areas are in Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine. He said:
“It just seems strange that they’d be doing a scorched-earth on territory that they claim publicly that they want to keep…I don’t know what the purpose of it is. But it is very worrying.”
- Zaporzhzhia Regional Military Administration said in its statement that the purpose of draining the reservoir could be partly to flood the area south of the dam to keep out Ukrainian forces.
- A paper released this month highlighted the variety of other ways in which water is at risk in Ukraine — wastewater facilities have lost power, fouling their treatment pools, pumping stations have been bombed, cutting off towns from fresh water, and dams have been demolished, flooding nearby villages.
Do you think the U.S. should be doing more to help Ukraine?
-Jamie Epstein
(Photo credit: Wikipedia/Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant)
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The civilized world needs to proactively get Ukraine the military weapons and and equipment that it needs to decisvely remove the Russian presence in all of it's sovereign territories. The Russians are attacking civilians, kidnapping and 'reprogramming' their children and destroying Ukraine's civilian infrastructure. We need to get the military aid that Ukraine needs to them, now. So far it has always been too little and always too late.
Meanwhile the cicivilian population is being killed outright, being starved, denied power during the cold of winter and now have a major source of potable water intentionally being taken away,
If this continues, there will be little left of Ukraine, their people, their culture, or their history. And for what? Just so the putin can realize his dream of becoming the reincarnation of Peter the Great. It is disgusting and the Putin must be stopped or the whole of Europe will be at risk.
We need to get more equipment to Ukraine than they currently need, so they can rid themselves of these war criminals and the Russian people can rid themselves of the putin.
The putin's war is a disgusting stain on the history of the world and it must be eradicated.
My thoughts on this situation is the belief that Russia and it's government does not have the ability, common sense, or intellect to take care of its own population except by way force on the population. They may have removed the country's monarchy but they have put into power dictatorial, self grandizing control freaks who obviously wish to bring down the entire world. I'm waiting to see what will happen when they try to pull this stunt on China or vice versa. Both countries have a reputation for "back stabbing" any entity that tries to remove their control. It will cost many lives and do the earth itself, no favors. There will always be rebellions no matter how hard you try to stop them. Each and every country needs to work for the betterment of ALL through health education and well being and by allowing each and every one of us "free wiil" to follow our own paths, make our own choices, and live our own lives to the best of our abilities without governments and religion forcing their ideaology upon the masses.
I support financial aid and military equipment, and that's all at this time. I'm troubled by this water issue, but we should allow NGOs and the European neighbors to help with this. We are providing enough support for now, although I wish those tanks would get there sooner.
Yet another reason that Ukraine needs to recover its eastern lands in order to control its water & electrical supply needed to sustain life in Ukraine as the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station supplies over half of Ukraine's power needs, and the Kakhovka Reservoir supplies southern Ukraine and much of Ukrainian agriculture with water, as well as the hydroelectric plant used for power generation.
The US needs to supply the weapons needed in a timely manner so Ukrainians can take back their land and resources to sustain life in Ukraine.
https://www.npr.org/2023/03/22/1164838051/ukraine-russia-war-kakhovka-reservoir
How is the Russian Invasion Causing a Water Crisis in Ukraine?
(EXTRARPT) Russia appears to be draining an enormous reservoir in Ukraine, imperiling drinking water, agricultural production and safety at Europe's largest nuclear plant, according to satellite data obtained by NPR.
Since early November 2022, water has been gushing out of the Kakhovka Reservoir, in Southern Ukraine, through sluice gates at a critical hydroelectric power plant controlled by Russian forces. As a result, satellite data shows that the water level at the reservoir has plummeted to its lowest point in three decades. Separate images provided by the commercial companies Planet and Maxar show water pouring through the gates, and shoreline along the giant reservoir emerging as a result of the rapidly falling water levels.
Water levels in the Kakhovka Reservoir have dropped sharply
Water levels have dropped by approximately 2 meters (or about 6 feet) (EXTRARPT)
Source: https://hydroweb.theia-land.fr/collections/hydroweb/L_kakhovka?lang=en&
We started this mess and we need to end it. Stop preventing peace and fueling the fire. We are the original aggressors trying to control the world and thankfully the world seems to be waking up to our BS.
Absolutely yes please. They matter. Also American red cross too. Help them to reach AMERICA PLEASE immediately.
Why not just start WW 3 and get it over with
The greatest non-RepublicN threat to democracy is Putin if we want to protect decomxracy in the USA and Ll other countrie, we must defeat Putin.
We need to get rid of Putin. One of the biggest threat to United States. He thought could keep Trump in office since he was controlling him. When that didn't work out he invaded Urankin.
Happy to take care of Ukraine as soon as we take care of our own problems like homelessness, food insecurity and veterans and don't forget immigration
Russia is committing war crimes and has illegally taken the Ukrainian land. They need to be stopped and right now the Ukrainian army are our proxy. Cheaper to pay them than to put our feet on the ground - unless the MAGA types want to go over. Oh yes, they will join the Russian side. No collusion with Russia there!
It's time to put an end to Putin's "fantasies" of grandeur and end the pain and sufferring of all the people!
Our help has only prolonged and escalated the war.
Always support democracy against aggression!
We must defeat putin in Ukraine so he cannot continue his attempts to take over other nations. I pray putin dies soon.
The Republican party is not only a party on hate, bigotry and bullying, but ;
I'm in facor of doing everyhing we can do to help Ukriane. It is evident that Putin is not just trying to win a war that he started without any justification, but he's trying to destroy the entire country of Ukraine, while also creating problems for his own citizens. Putin must be stopped because if he isn't he'll take to war to other countries.
US should fully support Ukrain.
I support any free country being invaded by a country that suppresses freedom and rules by terror. If we don't support Ukraine, it's a green light for other countries to do the same thing, like China, for instance. To be perfectly frank, I think it's more likly than not that Trump's meetings with these dictators was a stimulus to what we are seeing now. Who knows what lies and classified information Trump told about the USA in those meetings to make Putin, Kim, Jinping and others more paranoid than they already are. I believe it's all related to what we are seeing now. Trump is the biggest TRAITOR this country has ever seen and I am absolutely appaled that he is still running free and that the charges against him are still minor ones compared to his actual crimes against humanity and this country.
Everyone needs to do more to end this stupid war. Too much needless deaths, kidnappings, and destruction. Arrest the idiot putin and his minions for war crimes. It's a no brainer. This is all just a game to him.
You asked me on one of my sources? Here is one. SmartNews.com
You can search at the top!
Mr. Puttin is waging an all-out war if we are doing any business with them we are supporting it. The same goes for the Chinese if they choose to support them we need to limit import goods and have American companies rethink the cheap labor model they thrive on. As for the people in this country from Russia if they are not citizens or in the process we need to take a serious look at repatriating them to mother Russia.