Some 29 settlements in Kherson region flooded – Interior Minister
Twenty-nine settlements were flooded in Kherson region as a result of the destruction of the dam of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP) by the Russian occupation forces, 19 of them are controlled by the Ukrainian government and ten are situated in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine, over 1,560 people have been evacuated, the Interior Ministry of Ukraine has said on the Telegram channel with a reference to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.
The minister said that several working meetings were held with the participation of Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration Oleksandr Kubrakov, who is also the Minister for the Communities and Territories Development and Infrastructure of Ukraine, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Oleksiy Kuleba, and the heads of the military administrations and local authorities.
"Rescuer services, the police, and volunteers evacuate people from the flooded towns and villages of the region around the clock. A total of 29 settlements are in fact flooded, 19 of them are in the Ukrainian government-controlled territory and ten are temporarily occupied," he said.
"Over 1,560 people have been evacuated. The water level increased by 1 meter over the night. It is expected that it will continue to grow during the day. Around 1,600 rescuers and police officers as well as around 300 units of special equipment are working in the region. The number of help centers will be increased in case of necessity," Klymenko said.
The minister also said he has issued an instruction to assess environmental hazards.
"We have to understand what [is going on] with the landfills, cemeteries, fertilizer stocks, mine safety… And we should do our best to make our people feel that they have the authorities and they can receive help," he said.
The participants of the meeting also listened to the reports by the heads of Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhia regional military administrations on the construction of water pipelines, development of wells, and prevention of drinking water shortage.
The minister recalled that UAH 5 billion have been allocated from the Recovery Fund for the construction of new water main pipelines.
Klymenko also thanked the police, rescuers, and National Guard soldiers for their help in overcoming the consequences of the Russian terror act.
