People around were astounded by the horrific images. Early on June 6, 2023, an explosion in southeast Ukraine tore apart the Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro River. The dam collapsed shortly after, causing a tremendous flood to spread quickly downstream.
In the catastrophe, thousands of people lost everything, including some of their lives. However, the biggest dam failure in history also caused a significant environmental damage.
According to estimates from the Ukrainian government, 600 metric tons of crude oil leaked from the destroyed industrial sectors. Water, soil, and agricultural land have been contaminated by oil, chemicals from demolished enterprises, and municipal trash, all of which have hurt flora and fauna. Experts at the UN worry about long-term harm.
The dam explosion may now be relevant to a legally ground-breaking case. In an attempt to prosecute Russia for environmental war crimes before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Ukrainian authorities are gathering evidence. If they are successful, this would be a first for the legal system.
“The environment should no longer remain a silent victim of war,” Ruslan Strilets, Ukraine’s Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, told DW. “Humanity must understand that war is expensive. Every state must understand that war is expensive. Destroying the environment is expensive.”
Russia denies being behind the dam’s destruction.
