Ukraine says Russian missile strikes have broken a major dam in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, the latest attack from Moscow in a series of bombardments on civilian infrastructure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that Russia targeted the Karachunivske Reservoir, adding that it had no military value and the strikes would only impact local civilians.
The strikes destroyed a water pumping station and flooded the embankments, which are just a few meters from residential buildings, according to Ukrainian legislator Inna Sovsun.
Water leaked into the Inhulets River — the right tributary of the Dnipro River in southeastern Ukraine. Residents in districts across Kryvyi Rih were asked to evacuate their homes on Thursday to avoid flood-risk.
A regional official said Thursday that the water level in the Inhulets River had dropped by 40 centimeters (16 inches) and continues to fall, and thanked emergency workers for their efforts overnight.
“Thank you to the rescuers, emergency services and everyone who worked through the night and continues to work now. Each of you did an incredible job,” Valentyn Reznichenko, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk region civil military administration, said in a Telegram post.
