Absolute horror on left bank: Yurii Sobolevskyi about situation in Kherson region

After the russian occupiers blew up the Kakhovka HPP, residents of the temporarily occupied settlements of Kherson region found themselves in a difficult situation – they could not leave and had to stay on the roofs of flooded houses. The occupiers did not take care of either evacuation nor provided medical assistance to the population.

Yurii Sobolevskyi, First Deputy Head of Kherson Oblast Council made this statement during a briefing at Media Center Ukraine – Ukrinform.

“The whole last night we were processing the appeals by people who managed to get through, because the phone coverage was disrupted there as well. A large number of people found themselves in a situation where they could not leave. They are on the roofs of flooded houses,” he noted.

Yurii Sobolevskyi pointed out that the occupation authorities completely failed the evacuation. Moreover, the russian military created obstacles for volunteers who were trying to help people affected by the enemy terrorist attack.

“First of all, I believe they had no intention to really do it. Because they started making first steps in this direction yesterday around 12:00 PM. They made the first decisions that it was necessary to carry out an evacuation, they started looking for some buses to be sent to these settlements. No one canceled the curfew. The russian military was not involved in the evacuation processes, in helping our people. On the contrary, they even created obstacles for the work of the volunteers who still remained there, and for the people who tried to help their neighbors. The russian military simply were a hindrance,” explained Sobolevskyi.

He added that according to currently unconfirmed information, there were cases of the russian military extorting people to let them use their boats to pick up people from the roofs of houses.

The situation in the temporarily occupied settlements of Kherson region, which suffered as a result of the enemy troops’ blowing up the Kakhovka HPP, remains difficult. According to Yurii Sobolevskyi, international organizations need to be involved in order to help people.

“So that they can pressure the russian federation to allow international organizations to work there so that they can help these people,” he noted.

In addition, Yurii Sobolevskyi noted that the occupiers are not taking any steps to provide medical aid to people in the temporarily occupied territories. At the same time, he warned that the occupation authorities may use the tragedy to move people to russia.

“It is highly doubtful that they will take any steps to help the people who suffered after this terrorist attack. Most likely, they will be offered the so-called evacuation to the russian federation. I am sure that the occupation authorities will use this tragedy to relocate people to the territory of russia.”

As reported, on the night of June 6, 2023, russian troops blew up the Kakhovka HPP, which the occupiers captured in the first days of their full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The capacity of the Kakhovka HPP was 334.8 MW. Its operation enabled regulation of the annual runoff of the Dnipro to produce electricity and ensure irrigation and water supply to the arid regions in the south of Ukraine, as well as navigation from Kherson to Zaporizhia. The dam also functioned as a strategic road and railway bridge crossing. The construction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric complex raised the water level in the Dnipro River to 16 meters and created the Kakhovka reservoir with a volume of 18.19 km³.

According to Ukrhydroenergo, the explosion completely destroyed the engine room of the HPP, and it’s impossible to restore it.

According to Ukrainian Prime Minister, Denys Shmyhal, the blowing up of the Kakhovka HPP threatens to flood up to 80 settlements.

The evacuation of people from the settlements of Kherson region at risk of flooding has been announced and is currently underway. 

Read more: https://mediacenter.org.ua/news