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Kiev tries to imitate investigation into Kakhovka HPP collapse, says diplomat

On the morning of June 6, the Ukrainian military launched a missile attack on the Kakhovka HPP, which resulted in the destruction of gate sluice valves at the HPP’s dam, triggering an uncontrolled discharge of water

ST. PETERSBURG, June 15. /TASS/. The Ukrainian government is trying to imitate an investigation into the causes of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP) collapse, while rejecting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's initiative to set up an international commission on the matter, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"The Zelensky regime is trying to imitate an investigation into the collapse [of the Kakhovka HPP], <...> they have rudely rejected the initiative of the Turkish president to create an international commission [to investigate the incident]," she said at a briefing on the sidelines of the 26th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"The Kiev regime decided to resort to the services of the politicized and absolutely self-stained and discredited International Criminal Court. Let me remind you, the activity of this organization is not recognized by 120 countries of the world. This commission under the aegis of this structure was brought to Kherson by CIA Director William Burns himself," the diplomat pointed out.

According to Zakharova, the purpose of this step is to shift the blame for what happened to Russia, after which "pseudo-arrest warrants" will be issued.

On the morning of June 6, the Ukrainian military launched a missile attack on the Kakhovka HPP, which resulted in the destruction of gate sluice valves at the HPP’s dam, triggering an uncontrolled discharge of water. The water level in Novaya Kakhovka rose to 12 meters and is now receding. There are 35 communities in the flood zone. People are being evacuated from the flooded areas. According to the latest information, eight people have died and more than 60 have been hospitalized. The destruction of the hydro power plant has caused serious environmental damage with farmlands along the Dnieper River being washed away. Additionally, there is a risk that the North Crimean Canal may run low and become too shallow.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the strike on the Kakhovka dam as an act of deliberate sabotage by Ukrainian forces, adding that the Kiev regime should bear full responsibility for its consequences.

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