State Emergency Service: Increased mine threat in Kherson Oblast due to flooding

The State Emergency Service urged civilians in Kherson Oblast on June 6 to remain vigilant of mines dislodged by flooding after Russian forces blew up the Kakhovka dam.  

"Do not approach or touch explosive objects under any circumstances!" the State Emergency Service warned.

Russian forces destroyed the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant’s dam in the early hours of June 6, sparking a large-scale humanitarian and environmental disaster across southern Ukraine.

Nearly 1,300 civilians have been evacuated from Kherson Oblast of 3:00 p.m. local time, according to the State Emergency Service.

Evacuation efforts are ongoing as water levels are only expected to rise in the next 24 hours.

Civilians are being transported by bus and train to safer locations in Mykolaiv, Khmelnytskyi, Odesa, Kropyvnytskyi, Kyiv, and other cities, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said earlier.

At least 150 tons of machine oil have also leaked into the Dnipro River, according to the President's Office, and there is a risk of 300 additional tons leaking into the river.

Russian forces destroy Kakhovka dam, triggering humanitarian disaster

The dam of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant across the Dnipro River, occupied by Russian forces, was destroyed on the morning of June 6, sparking a large-scale humanitarian and environmental disaster across southern Ukraine. Ukraine’s Southern Operational Command reported early in the morning…

The Kyiv IndependentOlena Goncharova