The russian occupation forces carried out a deliberate and calculated sabotage of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station with the aim of causing maximum possible damage, Ihor Syrota, the CEO of Ukrhydroenergo reported.
“At first, the station was undermined from one side, causing a breach, and then the machine room in the middle was destroyed. Afterward, the structure began to tilt and sink underwater,” Ihor Syrota told Deutsche Welle.
Read more: 1943 Maps Show What Ukraine's Kakhovka Reservoir Will Look Like When the Waters Settle Down
In this way, the sabotage was carried out over time and consisted of two consecutive explosions in order to inflict maximum damage. There are satellite images from Radio Svoboda showing the aftermath of the sabotage:
The CEO of Ukrhydroenergo also noted that russia employed the worst possible scenario by detonating not only the dam but also the power station itself. Over 150 tons of oil were released into the water, with the majority of it expected to reach the Black Sea.
It is necessary to know how the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station actually looked as it’s a massive structure made of high-strength concrete.
Meanwhile, in such structures during the times of the USSR, special shafts were always created for the placement of explosive charges with the aim of guaranteed destruction of the facility, with precise calculations of the weight of the charges and the sequence of detonations.
It is evident that it was precisely these shafts that were used to destroy the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station, which was no longer considered solely from a military perspective by the occupiers. In particular, the hydropower complex did not regulate water discharge, resulting in abnormally high water levels in the Kakhovka reservoir, and electricity production was halted as early as November 2022.
Read more: What Could Happen With Water Supply, ZNPP, Crimean Canal Next After Kakhovka HPP Dam Demolition
