Zakharova’s statement: Russia hinting it may target Ukrainian dams?

Source: TASS news agency

In a startling declaration, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Ukraine of a plan to destroy the dams at  Kyiv hydroelectric station  and Kaniv reservoir. The diplomat claimed Kyiv will use what she called a possible ‘provocation’ to blame Moscow.

“We have taken note of reports by the so-called World Data Center for Geoinformatics and Sustainable Development at Kyiv Polytechnic Institute on possible scenarios of flooding  of the nearby areas after the [possible] destruction of certain dams in the Dnipro cascade… The fact is that in September and October 2022, this center already modeled the consequences of the Kakhovka HES dam breach,” claimed Zakharova.

She also mentioned the Kakhovka HES dam arguing it collapsed in 2023 as a result of Ukrainian “continuous’ shelling.  In what appears as a broad hint at Russia’s plan, Zakharova said Ukraine intends to destroy another hydroelectric power station in the same way.

“There is absolutely no doubt that the [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy regime is planning another cynical provocation against its own population,” Zakharova asserted.

It is worth noting that at the time the Kakhovka dam was blown up Russian authorities similarly claimed it  was a “provocation by the Ukrainian Armed Forces”.