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Exiled mayor: 3 dead due to floods in Kherson Oblast

1 min read
Exiled mayor: 3 dead due to floods in Kherson Oblast
Flooding in Kherson Oblast on June 6, 2023 after Russian forces blew up the Kakhovka d (Photo by Valentyna Gurova/Suspilne Ukraine/JSC "UA:PBC"/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Yevhen Ryshchuk, the exiled mayor of the Russian-occupied Oleshky, Kherson Oblast, reported on the first victims of the Kakhovka dam disaster on June 7.

According to the latest information, three people drowned.

"When the Antonivskyi bridge was blown up, the occupiers took away all the boats… There is information that the Russians are not letting people out of the flooded settlements," Ryshchuk said.

There have been reports of a dire situation on the Russia-occupied left bank of Kherson Oblast, as Russians are supposedly not organizing evacuations and obstructing volunteers.

Russia destroyed the Kakhovka dam on June 6, triggering a large-scale humanitarian and environmental disaster.

According to the latest information, up to 1,900 people have been evacuated from the affected areas. The victims in Oleshky would be the first reported deaths caused by the flooding so far.

Ukraine war latest: Russia destroys Kakhovka dam, sparks environmental disaster

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Martin Fornusek

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Martin Fornusek is a reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in international and regional politics, history, and disinformation. Based in Lviv, Martin often reports on international politics, with a focus on analyzing developments related to Ukraine and Russia. His career in journalism began in 2021 after graduating from Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, earning a Master's degree in Conflict and Democracy Studies. Martin has been invited to speak on Times Radio, France 24, Czech Television, and Radio Free Europe. He speaks English, Czech, and Ukrainian.

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