June 6 marks another anniversary of the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant. The destruction of the dam became one of the largest man-made and environmental disasters caused by Russian aggression against Ukraine. Its consequences are still felt by residents of the south. It did not pass without a trace for the ecosystem of the Dnipro, the Black Sea, and the territories that depended on the Kakhovka Reservoir.
UNN spoke with Yuliia Markhel, leader of the environmental movement Let's do it, Ukraine, about why the Kakhovka disaster is not limited to the loss of water resources, what threats it poses to soil, water bodies, animals, and human health, and how to counteract them.
The environmentalist immediately emphasized the following:
The Kakhovka disaster is not just about the loss of water. We have gained a huge open area of bottom sediments that have accumulated heavy metals and toxic substances for decades.
How the destruction of the Kakhovka HPP affected southern Ukraine
Yuliia Markhel explained: after the destruction of the dam, southern Ukraine lost both a reservoir and part of its life-support system. Its basin was a source of drinking water for millions of people, supplied industry, energy facilities, and one of the largest irrigation systems in the country.
According to the specialist, after the destruction of the dam, we lost approximately 18 cubic kilometers of fresh water. This was a critical blow to the region, where water was the basis for the functioning of communities, enterprises, and the agricultural sector.
"In fact, the entire southern region lost not just a reservoir, but an entire life-support system. The Kakhovka Reservoir was a source of drinking water for millions of people and ensured the operation of industry, the cooling of energy facilities, and the functioning of Ukraine's largest irrigation system," she said.
Consequences of flooding for people and settlements
The residents of flooded settlements were the first to feel the consequences of the disaster. Some communities lost their homes, access to basic infrastructure, stable water supply, and safe living conditions. For regions that were already under constant threat of shelling, the destruction of the HPP became an additional factor in the humanitarian crisis.
The situation with drinking water remains particularly difficult. According to Markhel, water supply problems for citizens of the Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, and Mykolaiv regions are still extremely serious.
"Now we face a question: the first priority is providing citizens with drinking water and water for daily life. Only then is it a question for farmers," she emphasized.
Environmental consequences of the destruction of the Kakhovka HPP
The environmental consequences of the occupiers blowing up the Kakhovka HPP are multi-factorial and long-term. After the sharp drop in water levels, a large number of fish, invertebrates, and other aquatic organisms died. Contaminated bottom sediments, silt, household waste residues, and toxic substances were carried downstream of the Dnipro and entered the Black Sea.
The UNN interviewee emphasizes that some pollutants can remain in the environment for decades. They affect water, soil, fish, and can enter the human body through the food chain.
"Some toxic substances decompose in the natural environment for 10-12 years, some can take up to 100 years. And, of course, this affects us as humans, our health, and can enter our bodies through the food chain," the expert explained.
For soils, the consequences vary depending on the territory. Siltation, accumulation of pollutants, local salinization, and damage to the fertile layer have already been recorded on flooded lands. This directly affected the possibility of further use of the land in agriculture.
What is happening to the Kakhovka Reservoir after the disaster
After the disappearance of a significant portion of the water, new natural complexes began to form on the territory of the former reservoir. Scientists are recording active overgrowth of the dried areas. Some ecologists view this process as a return to the natural landscapes that existed before the creation of the Kakhovka Reservoir.
"New natural complexes have begun to form on the former bottom, and scientists are recording active overgrowth of the dried territories. That is, we are returning to our natural meadow that existed before the Kakhovka Reservoir was created there," Yuliia Markhel said in a conversation with UNN journalists.
At the same time, this does not negate the scale of the disaster. The change in ecosystems also means a change in the agricultural model of southern Ukraine. The specialist explained that the region will no longer be able to function using old approaches.
"We will never again grow as many strawberries, watermelons, and other products that Ukrainians consumed themselves and that were exported abroad. That is, the south will change," she noted.
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Water supply and infrastructure problems after the Kakhovka HPP dam explosion
One of the biggest blows was the destruction of the irrigation infrastructure. Yuliia Markhel emphasized: more than 130 irrigation systems were destroyed in southern Ukraine. This seriously limited the capabilities of farmers and raised the question of a complete change in approaches to land use in the region.
Currently, the main task remains providing people with drinking water. Only after this can we talk about the full restoration of agricultural potential, modernization of irrigation, demining, and cleaning of land and water bodies.
"Right now, we are indeed talking about a shortage of drinking and fresh water reserves. And later there will be an understanding of how we adapt the south, what we will grow on these lands next, how quickly we can demine, clean the land and water, and use it again," the expert emphasized.
How affected regions are being restored after the HPP explosion
The restoration of affected territories requires a comprehensive strategy. It cannot be limited to a mechanical, formulaic return to the state that existed before the disaster.
As Yuliia Markhel said, discussions regarding the future of the Kakhovka Reservoir are still ongoing. Some specialists talk about the need to restore the dam, others about changing the infrastructure of the south.
The expert believes that future state policy should take into account several directions:
- stable water supply for the population;
- modernization of irrigation systems;
- development of decentralized water sources;
- environmental risks;
- military threats;
- climate change.
"The state strategy should be based on a comprehensive approach, not on a simple reproduction of what existed before. The future strategy must combine several directions. First and foremost—guaranteeing a stable water supply for the population and modernizing the irrigation systems we lost," Markhel emphasized.
What international support Ukraine needs
Due to the hostilities, full monitoring of the disaster's consequences remains difficult. Scientists obtain some data from satellite sources, and sampling is only possible where it is safe. That is why Ukraine needs long-term support from international partners in research, environmental monitoring, pollution assessment, and restoration planning.
"For assessment, we need to monitor for many more years, and to understand what we will do next, we need a lot of research and, of course, the support of foreign partners," noted the leader of the Let's do it, Ukraine environmental movement.
According to her, the main lesson of the Kakhovka disaster is that southern Ukraine needs a new model of water resource management. This model must simultaneously take into account the needs of people, the economy, and nature, as well as be resilient to military threats and climate change.
"The Kakhovka disaster is one of the largest environmental disasters of our century after the Chernobyl disaster in Europe. The south needs a new model of water resource management," the expert concluded.
Russian military blew up the Kakhovka HPP dam: what you need to know about this environmental crime
On June 6, 2023, the Russian military blew up the dam of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant in the Kherson region. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, this happened around 2:50 AM.
Ukrhydroenergo reported that as a result of the explosion of the engine room from the inside, the Kakhovka HPP was completely destroyed. It cannot be restored. At the same time, a rapid decrease in the water level in the Kakhovka Reservoir began, along with the evacuation of people from potential flood zones.
According to the investigation, the destruction of the dam caused a large-scale humanitarian, man-made, and environmental disaster. The Office of the Prosecutor General reported that at least 35 civilians died as a result, and another 24 people are considered missing. Water flooded 66 settlements in the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions, as well as large areas of agricultural, nature reserve, and forest funds. Separately, the Ministry of Internal Affairs noted that about 16,000 people were in the disaster zone.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Office of the Prosecutor General identified those involved in organizing the explosion. In 2024, suspicion was announced against Colonel-General of the Russian Armed Forces Oleg Makarevich, who, according to the investigation, gave the order to blow up the dam. In 2025, the SBU also announced suspicion against Major-General Vladimir Omelyanovich, who coordinated the actions of subordinates to destroy the dam using mine-explosive methods on the night of June 5-6, 2023. The suspicions were qualified as war crimes combined with intentional murder committed by prior conspiracy by a group of persons.
The consequences of the disaster went far beyond the Kherson region. According to estimates by the Government of Ukraine and the UN, the destruction of the Kakhovka dam caused nearly $14 billion in damages and losses to Ukraine. 620 square kilometers of territory in four regions were submerged, and about 100,000 people were directly affected. The disaster disrupted energy supplies, access to drinking water, irrigation, river transport, and the operation of part of the agricultural sector in southern Ukraine.
UNEP warned that a significant portion of the environmental consequences is irreversible, and their impact could be felt for decades. After the explosion, the IAEA also stated risks for the Zaporizhzhia NPP, as water from the Kakhovka Reservoir was needed for the plant's cooling systems. No direct immediate threat to nuclear safety was recorded at the time, but the agency emphasized the critical importance of maintaining the ZNPP cooling pond.
Reminder
Experts from the KSRIFE estimated the timelines for the restoration of various Ukrainian ecosystems after the war. It will take 30-50 years for the full restoration of forests, 10-20 years for water resources, and 10 to 40 years for protected areas.