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Putin has no immediate plans for visiting disaster area in Kherson Region — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov said noted that "a special group is being deployed at the site of the emergency"

MOSCOW, June 8. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has no immediate plans for visiting the disaster area following the burst of the hydroelectric power plant in the Kherson Region for holding an on-site conference, Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

"No, there are no such plans at the moment," Peskov responded to a related question.

The Kremlin spokesman said the president was constantly receiving reports about selfless efforts by rescuers in the vicinity of the hydropower plant.

Peskov said noted that "a special group is being deployed at the site of the emergency."

"Our rescuers are working selflessly. The problem is that in a number of places they have to work amid continuing bombardments by Ukraine," he stressed. "But, as always, the rescuers display courage and self-sacrifice in doing their job of saving people’s lives."

Situation in Kherson Region

In the morning of June 6, the Ukrainian military launched a missile attack on the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant, which resulted in the destruction of gate valves and the uncontrolled discharge of water. In Novaya Kakhovka, the reservoir’s level reached 12 meters. At the moment the water is receding. According to the emergency services, there are 35 communities and territories in the flooded area. People from nearby villages are being evacuated. According to the authorities, five people died and about 40 were taken to the hospital.

The destruction of the hydroelectric plant’s dam caused serious environmental damage. Farm fields along the Dnieper were washed away. There is a risk the North Crimean Canal may run low.

Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov slammed the strike on the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant as an act of deliberate sabotage by Ukraine. He added that the Kiev regime should bear all the responsibility for its consequences.