Thousands flee flood waters as UN warns of 'grave' impact from Ukraine dam breach
USA TodayDec 27, 2022
At Least 8 Dead in Kherson Floods as Zelenskyy Visits Region
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Image copyright: Armyinform [via Wikimedia]
The Facts
Russian-appointed and Ukrainian officials said at least eight people have died in flooding of the Kherson region after a major dam collapsed earlier in the week.
Russian-appointed officials on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River said five civilians were reported dead from flooding-related causes at this stage, while Ukrainian officials reported the deaths of three people in the Ukrainian-controlled western bank.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Only Russia would benefit from bringing down the Nova Kakhovka dam. Such a move protects its forces from any Ukrainian offensives in the Kherson region. Ukraine has nothing to gain by causing the floods and harming its own military and economic interests.
Pro-Russia narrative
Ukraine is responsible for causing the dam collapse, knowing that it has the full backing of its Western partners and that it can act with impunity. Ukrainian officials had even told the Washington Post that it conducted test strikes against the Nova Kakhovka dam to cause the exact consequences we are now seeing.
