Putin accuses Ukraine of barbaric act in dam destruction causing floods

On June 8, tensions escalated as Russian President Vladimir Putin labelled Ukraine’s destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam a “barbaric act.” The incident has resulted in widespread flooding and accusations from Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Moscow was behind the dam’s destruction. Zelenskyy also claimed that Russia-backed forces were struggling to evacuate residents in the affected areas.

Russian troops reportedly fired at Ukrainian rescue workers attempting to evacuate residents in the occupied regions of Kherson after the dam breach. Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko revealed that 30 settlements were flooded, with 10 under Russian control. Almost 6,000 people were evacuated from both sides of the Dnipro river. The Red Cross expressed concern that the dam breach would severely impact efforts to locate landmines in the region.

Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council Secretary, Oleksiy Danilov, confirmed that Ukraine had not yet initiated its anticipated counteroffensive. Meanwhile, Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Russia’s Belgorod region, reported that the town of Shebekino was struck by several shells from Ukraine.

In response to the dam explosion, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a “comprehensive investigation,” suggesting an inquiry involving representatives from the United Nations, Ukraine, Russia, and the international community. France pledged to send aid to Ukraine to help address the humanitarian consequences of the dam blast, while China expressed “serious concern” over the incident, fearing “humanitarian, economic and ecological impacts.”

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg announced a meeting to discuss the “outrageous destruction” of Nova Kakhovka, and United States President Joe Biden is set to host Stoltenberg for talks on Monday, with Ukraine topping the agenda. In May, China’s trade with Russia reached $20.5bn, the highest level in a single month since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

In terms of weaponry, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu ordered military contractor Almaz-Antey to speed up the production of air defence systems. Kyiv’s supporters have trained approximately 54,000 Ukrainian soldiers, including over 6,000 who have been instructed by the US in combined arms operations. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly stated that the United Kingdom would not be deterred by Russia’s “sabre-rattling” over the delivery of Western weapons to Ukraine, as it was crucial to do the “right thing.”