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Official: Ukraine to build new station instead of destroyed Kakhovka hydroelectric plant

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Official: Ukraine to build new station instead of destroyed Kakhovka hydroelectric plant
An image shows the damage to the destroyed Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant in Kherson Oblast on the morning of June 6, 2023. (Energoatom)

Ukraine will build a new power plant on the site of the destroyed Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant located on the Russian-occupied east bank of the Dnipro River once it liberates the territory, head of Ukraine's state-owned energy company Ukrhydroenergo Ihor Syrota said on June 6.

"Hydrostructures are being eroded, and we understand that we will have to build a new station very quickly. We will build a more beautiful and powerful station in the same place," he said on national television, as cited by Ukrainska Pravda media outlet.

According to the official, Ukrhydroenergo was already consulting with experts on how to quickly block the dam after the liberation.

The company also examines how to establish water supply from the reservoirs located up the river to the Ukrainian regions that will suffer from water shortages, said Syrota.

For now, Ukrainian authorities plan to drill additional wells in Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts to access fresh water, he added.

Official: Ukraine not responsible for Kakhovka explosion, ‘Russia’s claims are nonsense’
National Security and Defense Council chief Oleksii Danilov said that Ukraine had nothing to do with the explosion at the Kakhovka dam, Ukrinform reported on June 6. All Russia’s claims about Ukraine’s involvement are nonsense, he added.
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Russian forces destroyed the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant's dam across the Dnipro River on the morning of June 6, sparking a large-scale humanitarian and environmental disaster across southern Ukraine.

Built in 1956, the power plant is crucial to Ukraine's energy infrastructure. According to Ukraine's state hydroelectric power company, the damage caused by the breach is "impossible to repair."

Around 16,000 people's homes in Kherson Oblast are reportedly located in "critical risk" zones for flooding.

Ukraine's Interior Ministry reported that 1339 residents had been evacuated from the affected settlements as of 16:00 p.m. local time.

According to preliminary information, 13 regional settlements on the Kyiv-controlled west bank of the Dnipro River and more than 260 houses have been flooded.

The city of Kherson and other settlements in the oblast on the Dnipro River's west bank were liberated by Ukrainian forces in November 2022. Russian forces were pushed to the river's east bank.

Ukraine calls for new sanctions against Russia after Kakhovka dam explosion
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry urged the countries of the G7 and the European Union to immediately consider new sanctions against Russia after the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant dam on June 6.
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Dinara Khalilova

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Dinara Khalilova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a news editor. In the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she worked as a fixer and local producer for Sky News’ team in Ukraine. Dinara holds a BA in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and a Master’s degree in media and communication from the U.K.’s Bournemouth University.

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