GENICHESK, June 9. /TASS/. Damages to residential housing from the uncontrolled discharge of water from the Kakhovka Reservoir, which was triggered by a strike on the dam at the Kakhovka Hydro Power Plant (HPP), will exceed 1.5 billion rubles (about $18.3 million), Acting Governor Vladimir Saldo wrote on his Telegram channel on Thursday.

"The damages will be estimated and the situation evaluated only after the water recedes. However, even right now there is every reason to believe that the immediate damage caused by the destruction of the region’s housing stock will exceed 1.5 billion rubles," Saldo said.