CrimeaSOS: russia is trying to hide the traces of its crimes in the south of Ukraine by blowing up the Kakhovka HPP dam

On the night of June 6, the russians blew up the Kakhovka HPP dam. As a result, dozens of settlements in southern Ukraine may be flooded. According to Oleksii Tilnenko, Head of the CrimeaSOS Board, this way russia is additionally trying to hide its crimes in the south of Ukraine.

“Blowing up the Kakhovka HPP dam and the subsequent flooding of the territories of southern Ukraine can be considered an attempt by the russians not only to stop the Ukrainian counteroffensive, but also to hide the traces of their crimes in the occupied territories of the south”, — believes Oleksii Tilnenko, Head of the Board of CrimeaSOS.

Some territories in the south of Ukraine have been occupied since the first days of the full-scale invasion of the russian federation. During this time, the occupiers managed to commit a number of war crimes, including forced disappearances, torture and killing of civilians.

“There is currently no information on evacuation measures by the occupiers. Both the civilian population south of the HPP and hostages on the occupied left bank of the Kherson region are under mortal threat”, — adds Oleksii Tilnenko.

According to information from experts, both the right bank of the Kherson region and the left bank, which is currently occupied by the russian federation, are expected to be flooded due to the explosion of the dam. As of 15:00 on June 6, according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, more than 1,300 people were evacuated on the right bank of the Dnipro River in the region.

According to Ukrainian human rights defenders, the blowing up the Kakhovka HPP dam is a serious violation of a significant number of conventional and customary norms of international humanitarian law and is definitely a war crime. This once again confirms the barbaric and criminal nature of the russian federation’s conduct of war.

In the photo: the flooded Kherson region
Source: МОSТ