A Russian strike has damaged a dam on a reservoir in eastern Ukraine, raising water levels on the Vovtcha River and creating a potential flood risk for nearby communities.
Waterlevel Rises 4 Feet
The attack targeted the dam at the Kurakhove Reservoir, located in the Donetsk region, near the city of Kurakhove and close to the front line.
Vadym Filachkine, the local governor, confirmed the strike on Telegram, warning that it poses a potential threat to residents of towns along the Vovtcha River in the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
The water level on the Vovtcha River near the village of Velyka Novosilka rose by 1.2 meters (around 4 feet) after the dam was hit, according to L'Independent.
However, Filachkine stated that no flooding has been reported so far. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation.
Supports Local Water Supply
The Kurakhove Reservoir, one of the key water bodies in the area, is near the conflict zone where Russian forces have been advancing from the east in recent weeks.
The Vovtcha River, a tributary flowing through parts of Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk, is an important water source for these regions.
Though relatively small compared to the Dnieper River, the Vovtcha supports local water supply and irrigation systems, which could be impacted if water levels rise further.
The reservoir and river are critical for the towns they serve, with the dam’s stability playing a role in regional water management.
This incident echoes the destruction of another major dam on the Dnieper River in the Kherson region in June 2023.
That dam’s partial collapse released billions of liters of water downstream, flooding villages and causing major environmental damage.
Ukraine accused Russia, whose forces controlled the dam, of intentionally causing the destruction to stall Ukrainian military efforts. Moscow, in turn, blamed Ukraine.
The flooding from the Kherson dam collapse led to dozens of deaths and severe ecological harm. If the Vovtcha River dam fails, local communities could face similar, though smaller-scale, devastation.
