By: Matthew Yang

The Kakhovka dam, which is located in a major Ukrainian war zone, collapsed at 2:30 a.m. on June 6. Seismic sensors and satellites collected data showing evidence of an explosion inside the dam.

Evidence suggests that a bomb was planted inside the dam, which was made of concrete and was resistant to external attacks. Videos show that, after its first section collapsed, water flowed through at high speeds and tore a growing hole in the dam.

The dam suffered catastrophic structural damage at its foundation, which was a concrete block containing a passageway accessible from the machine room.

Ihor Syrota, head of Ukrhydroenergo, the state hydroelectric company, said that “A missile strike would not cause such destruction because this plant was built to withstand an atomic bomb.” He added, “It’s clear: There was a blast from inside the station and the station broke in half.”

The middle of the dam was destroyed first, and water tore the ends away later that day.

After the dam was destroyed, the water started to rush downstream, overflowing the Dnipro River and flooding the area around it. Many people who lived on the first floor drowned, and others climbed to the roofs of their houses.

The loss of the dam also caused engineers at a nearby nuclear plant to shut down its last operating reactor because the reactors relied on water from the reservoir to cool off.

Resources:

1. Why the Evidence Suggests Russia Blew Up the Kakhovka Dam, The New York Times.

2. Last Reactor at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Shuts Down After Dam Collapse, The New York Times.