European Parliament recognises Kakhovska dam blast as Russian war crime

MPs of the European Parliament condemned the demolition of the Kakhovska dam and recognised it as a Russian war crime, the institution announced after a plenary session in Strasbourg. 

“Deputies condemned the destruction of the dam in Ukraine’s Nova Kakhovka, the latest war crime committed by Russia, which should face consequences,” the message reads, The New Voice of Ukraine reports.

The deputies also called on the EU to continue supporting Ukraine, to introduce new sanctions against Russia, and to direct the billions in frozen financial assets of Russian oligarchs to help rebuild Ukraine.

Russian troops blew up the Kakhovska hydroelectric dam on the night of June 6 after having controlled the facility for over a year. Cities and villages downstream along the Dnipro were completely or partially flooded.

The Kakhovska Hydroelectric Power Plant is completely destroyed and cannot be replaced, reported Ukrhydroenergo. Ukraine’s South Command reported that the dam was not entirely destroyed, but the damage is significant.

After an urgent meeting of the National Security Council, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ordered an evacuation of the risk areas and an operation to provide drinking water to all the cities and villages that relied on the Kakhovska Reservoir for water.