On Wednesday, Russia updated the death toll to 41 due to flooding in areas it controls in southern Ukraine following the destruction of a dam on the Dnieper River in early June. The head of the Russian occupation in the Kherson region, Andrei Alekseyenko, lamented the rise in the death toll.
An earlier report on Saturday listed 29 dead, but now the figure has risen. The Kakhovka hydroelectric dam, located in an area under Russian control in the Kherson region, was destroyed on June 6. As a result, hundreds of square kilometers were flooded, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people and raising concerns about a potential humanitarian and environmental catastrophe.
Russia and Ukraine blame each other for the destruction of the dam. Both countries have been involved in conflicts in the region, and tensions persist. This flooding tragedy further aggravates the situation and creates a new point of contention between the two nations.
Authorities are working to address the consequences of the floods and provide support to those affected. However, the scale of the disaster poses significant challenges, and a rapid and coordinated response is needed to ensure the safety and well-being of the affected communities.
This situation highlights the importance of international cooperation and the need to jointly address environmental and humanitarian challenges. The priority must be to protect and assist the people who have suffered as a result of this tragedy and to work to prevent future disasters of this type in the region.