Zelenskyy says dam destruction will not affect Ukraine’s counter-offensive

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday the collapse of the Kakhovka dam, which Kyiv blames on Russia, will not affect Ukraine’s planned counter-offensive operation.

“The detonation of the dam did not affect Ukraine’s ability to de-occupy its own territories,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram.

The dam of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, which is in an area occupied by Russia, collapsed on Tuesday, flooding nearby villages, damaging crops, and compromising drinking water reserves. Russia and Ukraine initiated evacuation operations to move people away from the flooded areas. Both sides pointed the finger of the blame at the other with the accusation of deliberately attacking the dam.

Zelenskyy cited Ukrainian intelligence as to have concluded that the explosion of the dam was a deliberate act by Russia which “acted chaotically, allowing their own equipment to be flooded.”

The dam disaster comes amid high anticipation of Ukraine’s long-awaited counter-offensive to reclaim occupied territories armed with the latest shipments of Western weapon systems.

Zelenskyy said that reports from the military command of the situation at the front and the readiness of Ukrainian forces for “further actions” were analyzed thoroughly and the troops are at maximum readiness.