A view of a flooded area in Novaya Kakhovka
MOSCOW – Ukraine plans to sue Russia in the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague over the incident at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant (HPP), Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has said.
"We will make requests to the staff of the International Criminal Court," Zelensky said, describing the situation as "ecocide."
Ukrainian forces shelled the Kakhovka HPP in the early morning hours on Tuesday, presumably using missiles fired from an Olkha multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS). The gate valves of the plant’s dam collapsed as a result of the shelling, causing water to pour out uncontrollably.
As of now, the water level in Novaya Kakhovka has risen to above 12 meters. Fourteen settlements have been flooded and up to 80 are at risk of being inundated.
People are being evacuated from neighboring settlements. However, according to local authorities, large-scale evacuations are not necessary.
Farmlands along the Dnieper have been washed away.
There is a risk of the drying out of the North Crimean Canal, which feeds water to Crimea.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the attack on the Kakhovka HPP as a deliberate act of sabotage by Ukraine.
He added that the Kiev regime should bear all the responsibility for the consequences. (TASS)
