On June eight, tensions escalated as Russian President Vladimir Putin labelled Ukraine’s destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam a “barbaric act.” The incident has resulted in widespread flooding and accusations from Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Moscow was behind the dam’s destruction. Zelenskyy also claimed that Russia-backed forces had been struggling to evacuate residents within the affected areas.
Russian troops reportedly fired at Ukrainian rescue staff trying to evacuate residents within the occupied areas of Kherson after the dam breach. Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko revealed that 30 settlements have been flooded, with 10 beneath Russian management. Almost 6,000 people were evacuated from either side of the Dnipro river. The Red Cross expressed concern that the dam breach would severely impact efforts to locate landmines within the region.
Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council Secretary, Oleksiy Danilov, confirmed that Ukraine had not but initiated its anticipated counteroffensive. Meanwhile, Insider , the governor of Russia’s Belgorod region, reported that the town of Shebekino was struck by a quantity of shells from Ukraine.
In response to the dam explosion, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan referred to as for a “comprehensive investigation,” suggesting an inquiry involving representatives from the United Nations, Ukraine, Russia, and the worldwide community. France pledged to ship aid to Ukraine to assist address the humanitarian penalties of the dam blast, while China expressed “serious concern” over the incident, fearing “humanitarian, economic and ecological impacts.”
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg announced a meeting to debate the “outrageous destruction” of Nova Kakhovka, and United States President Joe Biden is about to host Stoltenberg for talks on Monday, with Ukraine topping the agenda. In May, China’s commerce with Russia reached $20.5bn, the very best level in a single month since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine..