8th June 2023 – (Washington) The Russian Ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, has accused the U.S. media of launching a targeted disinformation campaign regarding the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant in Ukraine, in an attempt to shift responsibility from Ukraine to Russia and “whitewash” the Kiev regime. Antonov stated that the US media is making insinuations that Russia is responsible for the destruction of the facility, while framing the rhetoric in such a way that implies Russia is responsible for all incidents during the Ukrainian conflict.
Antonov stated that this approach is “another desperate attempt” to shift the blame from Ukraine, which deliberately shelled the station for many months, violating international humanitarian law. The attack led to an ecological disaster, causing large-scale flooding of settlements and farmland, and endangering the functioning of the North Crimean Canal. The Russian ambassador noted that experts have yet to assess the imminent consequences for the cooling circuit of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant as a result of the tragedy.
Antonov criticised the U.S. for never criticising Kiev, while approving of all actions of the regime, and encouraging any strikes that Russians suffer from. He called this a “textbook example of an ill-conceived, flawed position” that has already caused serious upheavals in the world. Antonov accused the US of trying to ensure Kiev’s illusory victory and said that the US is involved in solving this problem, not only with military specialists but also with political technologists.
On 6th June, Ukrainian forces delivered a strike on the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP), presumably from an Olkha multiple launch rocket system (MLRS), destroying the hydraulic sluice valves at the HPP’s dam and triggering an uncontrolled discharge of water. The collapse of the hydro plant’s dam has caused serious environmental damage, washing away farmlands along the Dnieper River and posing a risk to the North Crimean Canal. Currently, 15 population centres are in the flood zone, and residents of nearby towns and villages are being evacuated.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the attack on the Kakhovka HPP as a deliberate act of sabotage by Ukraine. He added that the Kiev regime should bear full responsibility for the consequences. The destruction of the Kakhovka hydropower plant will have severe environmental and economic consequences not only for Ukraine but also for the wider region.