Russia did not allow representatives of the UN humanitarian mission to the occupied territories on the left bank of the Dnieper, which suffered from flooding after the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric dam broke. This is stated in a statement published on June 18 by the humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine Denise Brown.
According to her, the mission is trying to deliver humanitarian aid to the victims and will continue to look for ways to do this:
“We call on the Russian authorities to act in accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian law. You can't refuse to help people who need it."
According to the latest data provided by the occupation administration, 35 people died as a result of the flood in the Russian-controlled territory of the Kherson region. On the right bank, which is under the control of Ukraine, 13 people drowned , four more were killed as a result of shelling by the Russian army. 31 people are listed as missing.
Local residents coordinating aid to the victims on the left bank told The Insider that the Russian military and Emergencies Ministry officials do not allow volunteers to enter the disaster area because they are afraid of infiltration by sabotage groups.
The dam of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station was completely destroyed on the night of June 6, as a result of which dozens of settlements on both banks of the Dnieper were flooded with water. Kyiv accused Russia of undermining the structure. The New York Times wrote that American spy satellites detected an explosion at the dam shortly before it collapsed.