Investigation: Russia had the means, motive and opportunity to destroy the dam in Ukraine

2023-06-23 17:43:42, Kosova & Bota CNA

Investigation: Russia had the means, motive and opportunity to destroy the dam

Russia had the means, the motive, and the ability to take down the Ukrainian dam that collapsed earlier this month while under the control of Russian forces. The Associated Press news agency reached this conclusion, based on exclusive drone footage and other information.

The dam's collapse caused deadly floods, endangered crops in the world's most productive area, cut off water supplies for thousands of people and caused an environmental disaster.

Ukrainian commanders say some of their plans to take over positions held by Russian forces in a counteroffensive that is already in its initial stages have also been thwarted.

Each side has blamed the other for destroying the dam, but Russia's various insinuations that it was hit by a missile or that it was brought down by explosives fail to explain the blast, which was so strong it was recorded on seismic monitors. in the region.

Russia has benefited from the timing of the massive flooding that followed the explosion – although there was also flooding in areas occupied by Russian forces and the fallout may have been more widespread than expected. The Russian Defense Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

In the region around the dam, the Dnieper River forms the front line between Russian and Ukrainian forces; Russian forces are in control of the dam itself.

"There is no doubt that the Russian forces blew up the hydroelectric plant with their own hands. The 205th Mechanized Regiment had charge of the station and was stationed there from the start; he kept the command office there. What happened is that they realized that the active counteroffensive phase had begun. There was movement and fighting to take the initiative on other fronts, so they just decided to go ahead and blow up the dam ," says Ukrainian commander Illia Zelinskyi.

In recent weeks, Ukrainian forces have reported limited progress in the beginnings of a counteroffensive to retake territory occupied by Russian forces since the offensive began in February 2022.

In the days before the June 6 explosion, Ukrainian military drone videos showed dozens of Russian soldiers stationed on the banks of the Dnieper River walking calmly along the dam, suggesting they had control of the area and the dam in particular, which was important strategic.

Kakhovka is among the Soviet-era dams along the Dnieper River that were built to withstand high-force impacts, even thousands of kilograms of explosives, learning from the destruction of German dams during World War II.

To destroy e.g. dam in Mohne in 1943, it took 4.5 tons of special bombs. Ukraine is not believed to have any missiles with this kind of power. It also seems implausible that Ukrainian commandos have secretly smuggled in thousands of kilograms of explosives to destroy the dam, which has been completely controlled from the inside and outside by Russian soldiers for several months.

"I think the Russians miscalculated the power of the explosives." We see it in their reaction itself. Not all of their units were prepared. Some were stuck in trees, many drowned in the Dnieper River. They actually destroyed their own front line, which they had reinforced for six months," says the Ukrainian commander.

The Institute for the Study of War says that "the balance of evidence, reasoning and rhetoric suggests that the Russians deliberately damaged the dam". The 2:54 a.m. blast was recorded on Norway's seismic monitors as a magnitude 2.

"They blew it up to prevent our Ukrainian forces from advancing... They attacked from that side. All the houses were damaged and some of the shells came from Nova Kakhovka" , says Valentyna Ivanivna, a resident of Kozatske.

Ukrainian intelligence services circulated recorded conversations between Russian soldiers saying that “our sabotage groups were there. They wanted to create a scare with the dam, but it didn't go completely according to plan"./ VOA