Russia and Ukraine Clash Over Blame for the Kakhovka Hydropower Dam Explosion

After the attack on the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam, both Russia and Ukraine said the other was responsible for the attack.

Russian President’s Press Secretary Peskov said on the 6th that the bombing of the hydropower dam was deliberately sabotaged by the Ukrainian side and was intended to divert attention because the recent large-scale counterattack launched by the Ukrainian army did not go well. In addition, Peskov pointed out that another goal of destroying the dam is to deprive the Crimea of ​​water resources. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu also said that day that the Ukrainian side blew up the dam to redeploy troops and transfer troops from the direction of Kherson to other offensive operations.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba accused Russia of sabotaging the Kakhovka Dam on the 6th and called on the United Nations Security Council to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the situation. Kuleba called Russia’s bombing of the dam a “terrorist act” and called on the G7 and EU countries to impose further sanctions on Russia. Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said that the Kakhovka hydropower station is under Russian control, and the Russian army carried out the explosion.