Russia is deliberately draining the Kakhova Reservoir, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Feb 12.
“This is ecocide,” Vereshchuk said. “The occupiers are draining the Kakhovka Reservoir. It’s a threat to the environment, water supply, and agriculture of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts.”
The Kakhovka Reservoir is a source for cooling of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
“Even though the decreased water level does not pose an immediate threat to nuclear safety and security, it may become a source of concern if it is allowed to continue,” International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi said.
NPR reported, citing satellite imagery it obtained, that the reservoir has reached its lowest point in three decades.
