UNITED NATIONS, June 10. /TASS/. Attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure contradict the international humanitarian law, Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric said on Friday, commenting on Ukraine’s shelling of civilians evacuating from flood-hit areas of the Kherson Region.
"All of the people impacted by the destruction of the dam need help, whether they are in areas controlled by the Government of Ukraine or whether they're areas under the control of the Russian military. And I would also add that any targeting of or hitting of civilians or civilian infrastructures is contrary to International Humanitarian Law," he 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.