Ukraine will receive NATO and EU help to overcome the disaster caused by the Kakhovka HPP dam destruction

Ukraine has submitted a list of urgent humanitarian needs to NATO to address the aftermath of Russia’s destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam, and will soon receive assistance provided through the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Center.

“I am grateful to NATO and individual allies for their swift readiness to assist Ukraine in overcoming the consequences of Russia’s terrorist attack on the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant,” said Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba at the NATO-Ukraine Commission extraordinary meeting.

Earlier, shortly after the accident, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg reacted to the explosion at the Kakhovka HPP in the south of Ukraine.

“The destruction of the Kakhovka dam today puts thousands of civilians at risk and causes severe environmental damage. This is an outrageous act, which demonstrates once again the brutality of Russia’s war inUkraine,” Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter.

On June 7, the next day after the tragedy, Ukraine requested international EU assistance in the form of equipment and machinery for relief efforts. Germany, Austria, and Lithuania were the first countries to offer aid.

“Germany has offered 5,000 water filters and 56 generators, and Austria 20 water containers and 10 mud water pumps, which are now on their way to Ukraine. In addition, Lithuania and Germany have offered shelter equipment, including tents, beds, and blankets,” said the European Commission in its statement.

The European Union also reacted to Russia’s blowing up the Kakhovka HPP dam and called to hold Russian terrorists accountable for their crimes.

“Russia’s attacks against Ukrainian civilian critical infrastructure reached an unprecedented level today with the destruction of the dam at Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant. The European Union condemns this attack in the strongest possible terms. It represents a new dimension of Russian atrocities and may constitute a violation of international law, notably international humanitarian law,” said High Representative Josep Borrell and Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič in their joint statement.

As previously reported, on June 6, Russia blew up the Kakhovka HPP near the city of Kherson. The destruction of the dam caused massive flooding on both banks of the Dnipro River, endangering thousands of people and entire ecosystems. As of June 9, it is known about at least 5 people killed by the flood. More than 2,500 people were evacuated, and the process is ongoing.