By: Kyle Xu

It was June 6, 2023. Suddenly, a series of explosions were heard. Towering waves rose high above the Kakhovka Dam. Sections of the dam crumpled, to be swept away by the raging waters. What had gone wrong?

The problem lay somewhere deep beneath the water. A weak point of the dam sat in a passageway that came from the machine room. The dam was built to withstand all external attacks.

The dam was built in the times of the Soviet Union. Russia knew every detail, every point in the structure. It would’ve been a piece of cake for Moscow to infiltrate the makings of the dam.

Witnesses in the area heard large blasts between 2:15 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. Seismic sensors in Ukraine had also detected signs of a large explosion. And just before the dam collapsed, American satellites also received signs of an explosion.

The explosion had most likely destabilized a section of the structure, while flowing water had torn apart the others.

Some suggest that the dam had fallen due to damage accumulated over it during the war. Ukrainian attacks had damaged a part of the roadway above and retreating Russian troops had blown up another.

But multiple cases of evidence had led to the fact that it was no accident. The catastrophic fall of the dam couldn’t have happened on its own.

“If your objective is to destroy the dam itself, a large explosion would be required,” said Michael W. West, an expert in dam safety. “The gallery is an ideal place to put that explosive charge.”

Residents living in the area reported hearing strange rumblings and explosions before dawn on June 6. For the citizens closest to the dam, the rush of water happened at an instant. Thousands were displaced from their homes.

Vasyl, 64, lived in the Russian-occupied town of Hola Prystan, 60 miles from the dam. Neighbors and relatives have sought refuge in his apartment. “My sister’s house is completely washed out,” Vasyl said.

The death toll from the flooding remains unknown; officials say the numbers are likely to rise as the waters recede.

Mr. Strelets, an engineer, called the gallery the Achilles’ heel of the Kakhovka dam. “I walked along this dam many times,” he said. “I was proud of it. It is the property of my country. I never even imagined that someone would attempt to destroy it.”