Greenpeace reports flooding of 32 sites containing chemicals, oil, and gasoline, following Kakhovka Dam explosion
Satellite data analysis reveals that, in the initial days following the disaster, approximately 150 tons of motor oil leaked into the water.
Greenpeace states that even a small amount of chemicals, which can contaminate soil and water bodies, can greatly hinder access to clean water.
The organization also drew attention to the risk of severe pollution as a result of the flooding of industrial areas. Chemicals washed downstream could pollute the Black Sea and coastal regions.
Read also: Cholera and e. coli discovered in water supplies after Kakhovka Dam destruction
Wildlife will be adversely affected by the catastrophe, as their habitats will be contaminated, Greenpeace added.
Manfred Santen, a Greenpeace chemist from Germany, warned that without proper restoration, soils and water bodies may remain unsuitable for agricultural production and as a source of drinking water for many years.
Earlier, Ruslan Strylets, the Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, reported that a significant portion of the reservoir volume at the Kakhovka Reservoir had leaked due to the explosion at the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant.
Read also: Zelenskyy criticizes international community for timidity after Kakhovka Dam explosion
He emphasized the critical situation in nature reserves, with a risk of 30% of the nature reserve fund in Kherson Oblast disappearing.
The Kakhovka Dam: what is known about the explosion
On the night of Tuesday, June 6, Russian troops blew up the Kakhovka Dam, which has been occupied for over a year. Cities and villages downstream of the dam on the Dnipro River were completely or partially flooded.
Ukrainian hydropower operator Ukrhydroenergo reported that the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant was completely destroyed and cannot be repaired. Ukraine’s Southern Command clarified that while the entire dam was not destroyed, there is significant damage.
Read also: At least 100,000 tons of crops lost in Kakhovka Dam explosion; several million could be lost
At an urgent meeting of the National Security Council, President Zelenskyy gave the order to carry out evacuation from at-risk areas and to provide drinking water to all cities and villages that received water from the Kakhovka Reservoir.
Evacuation from the right bank of the Kherson region continued through the night, while on the Russian-occupied left bank, which was more heavily affected by the flooding, a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding.
The Economy Ministry has stated that the construction of a new hydroelectric power plant may require about $1 billion and at least five years.
The Prosecutor General’s Office has opened an investigation into the disaster as an act of ecocide, and Ukraine has appealed to the International Criminal Court to ensure justice.
Read also: Everyone in Crimea everyone is shocked. Will there be enough water for the peninsula? — opinion
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