INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
And President Volodomyr Zelensky has warned Russian forces could blow up the dam and its hydroelectric facility themselves in what he said
event that experts say would likely inflict mass destruction and spark a humanitarian crisis across a swathe of southern Ukraine.Why is the
pictured near the Kakhovka power station in March, 2022.Russian Defense MinistryOne of just three major crossings along the Dnipro in
troops to the left bank of the Dnipro River, the dam and the bridge could become part of the frontline between the two armies.Satellite
images published in Augustshowed several craters in the road bridge, which apparently forced Russian troops to construct a number of pontoon
make the blowing of the dam more likely, there are precedents for retreating armies destroying infrastructure
to withdraw from the right bank of the Dnipro in Kherson region had long been anticipated by military analysts, who predicted that the
toward the river, officials in Kyiv have stepped up their warnings of a potential Russian false-flag operation to destroy the dam.According
to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia first mined the dam back in April and added more explosives to the floodgates and supporting structures
Russia's efforts to knock out critical Ukrainian energy infrastructure in recent weeks
hyydroelectric power plant.Volodymyr Dziubak (CC BY-SA 4.0)But most experts warn that blowing the dam would not give Russia any significant
to destroy the dam, accusing Ukraine of plotting an attack themselves
severe flooding in large areas of southern Ukraine
both water supplies to Moscow-annexed Crimea and risks cutting off access to cooling water for the Russian-controlled nuclear power plant in