UNITED NATIONS, May 21. /TASS/. Russia hopes that the investigation into the rocket strike on the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, which was carried out by the Ukrainian military last year, will concern the suppliers of HIMARS rockets, Russia's permanent representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, told the UN Security Council in an open debate on the protection of civilians in civil conflicts.

"The [UN secretary-general's] report mentions some kind of investigations currently being conducted by the Kiev regime, including with regard to the destruction of the Kakhovka dam as an act of ecocide. We hope that this is an investigation into the activities of the leadership and armed forces of [Ukrainian President] Zelensky's regime, which committed this crime, as we warned the UN Secretary-General in a letter dated October 21, 2022. We also expect that the investigation concerns the suppliers of HIMARS rockets, which were used to destroy the dam. As known, the targets of such missiles are coordinated with the suppliers," he said.

The Russian diplomat noted that not only the Zelensky regime was responsible for the strike on the Kakhovka HPP, but also the "Western sponsors who continue to supply long-range weapons to the ruling clique in Kiev."

Strike on Kakhovka HPP

On the morning of June 6, 2023, the Ukrainian military launched a rocket strike on the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant. An uncontrolled release of water began, resulting in casualties: 55 people died and 175 were taken to hospitals. The destruction of the dam caused serious damage to the environment. Farm fields along the Dnieper were washed away. Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the strike on the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant as deliberate sabotage by Ukraine.