Preliminary estimates predict that 10,000 hectares of farmland on the eastern bank will be submerged. Additionally, tens of thousands of hectares west of the river will also be lost. Both areas are located in the Russian-controlled eastern part of Ukraine.
Ukraine has accused Russia of blowing up the dam on the frontline in the Kherson region. However, Russia blames Ukraine for the incident. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the destruction of the dam has resulted in "hundreds of thousands of people" lacking normal access to drinking water.
The water supply has been cut off to 31 irrigation systems in agricultural fields. Before the war, these systems irrigated nearly 600,000 hectares. The destruction of the dam has caused 94% of the irrigation systems in the city of Kherson to be without a water source.
Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said that more than 1,700 people have been evacuated. He called on international organizations to assist in evacuating people from occupied areas.
The United Nations (UN) stated that flooding caused by the dam’s destruction will "disrupt agricultural activities, damage livestock and fisheries, and have widespread long-term effects."
It is feared that this may be the most significant incident of damage to civilian infrastructure since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.