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Red Cross ready to help people from both banks of Dnipro river — statement

The International Committee of the Red Cross asked to deliver critical aid to areas where it does not have permission to work

GENEVA, June 10. /TASS/. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) offered to deliver aid to the population from both banks of the Dnipro River, affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, the organization’s Geneva headquarters said in a statement on Friday.

"We are ready to respond on both sides of the river, notably from operational bases in Odesa and Donetsk, and we have reiterated our offer of emergency support to the authorities for people affected by the floods, as well as longer-term help to improve access to clean water," the ICRC said in a statement.

"We are continuing to offer our support and request to bring critical aid to areas where we do not currently have the necessary authorization to operate," it said.

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. According to emergency services, there are 35 communities in the flood zone, and residents of nearby villages are being evacuated. Eight people are reported to have died and more than 60 taken to the hospital.

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. Russian Presidential 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.