"LONDON - The breach of a huge dam on the front-line Dnipro river has muddied the picture for a much-awaited Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russian invaders and threatens an environmental disaster for civilians living in the war zone.
Kyiv and Moscow have blamed each other for the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine that sent floods gushing towards surrounding towns and farmland and forced hundreds of civilians to flee on Tuesday.
With water levels still rising, officials and analysts have begun to count the human and environmental costs for one of the world's most fertile agricultural countries, saying settlements, thousands of people and some rare wildlife species are at risk.
At least 150 tonnes of oil from the dam have leaked into the Dnipro, Ukrainian Environment Minister Ruslan Strilets told a press briefing, and the environmental damage had been estimated at 50 million euros ($53.8 million)."
Matthias Williams, Mark Trevelyan and Gloria Dickie report for Reuters June 6, 2023.
SEE ALSO:
"Towns Submerged, Villages Evacuated As Dam Breach Floods Southern Ukraine" (Reuters)
"Ukraine Dam’s Destruction Could ‘Forever’ Change Ecosystems, Officials Say" (Washington Post)
"Nova Kakhovka Dam Largely Destroyed, Flooding Extensive - Maxar Satellite" (Reuters)
"Damage To Russian-Held Hydroelectric Plant Floods South Ukraine Battlefield" (Washington Post)
"Internal Blast Probably Breached Ukraine Dam, Experts Say (Cautiously)" (New York Times)
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