Deputy PM: Russian forces are draining Kakhovka Reservoir

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.