THOUSANDS fled their homes Wednesday after the destruction of a Russian-held dam in Ukraine flooded dozens of villages and parts of a nearby city, sparking fears of a humanitarian disaster.
Ukraine and Russia have traded blame for the Kakhovka dam being ripped open on Tuesday, President Vladimir Putin calling the destruction a “barbaric act”, in his first public reaction.
The breach of the dam in southern Ukraine, which provides cooling water for Europe’s largest nuclear plant, took place as Ukrainian troops prepared to launch the offensive to recover lost territory.
Downstream from the breached Kakhovka dam, police and troops in Kherson were bringing people out from inundated areas in inflatable boats, most clutching only a few documents or pets.
Despite the evacuations, officials said Russian forces had kept shelling the residential neighbourhoods.
“We’re used to shooting, but a natural disaster is a real nightmare,” said Nataliya Korzh, 68, who had to swim part of the way to escape from her house.
“I wasn’t expecting that,” she told AFP.
She emerged from a rescue boat barefoot, her legs covered with scratches, her hands trembling from cold.
“We no longer have a home,” said Dmitry Melnikov, 46, who was evacuated with his five children.
“We have been here since the beginning of the war, we survived the occupation,” said Melnikov, whose family was being evacuated to the southern city of Mykolaiv.
“But now we have no home, no nothing, no work. We don’t want to leave, but what can we do?”
