<p>French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday released a statement saying that his country would send aid to Ukraine "within the next few hours" after the Kakhovka dam breach triggered floods forcing the people to spend the night on roofs and trees.</p>

<p>"France condemns this atrocious act, which is endangering populations. Within the next few hours, we will send aid to meet immediate needs," Macron wrote on Twitter.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I expressed to President Zelensky my solidarity with the Ukrainian people after the attack on the Kakhovka dam. France condemns this atrocious act, which is endangering populations. Within the next few hours, we will send aid to meet immediate needs.</p>
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) <a href="https://twitter.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/1666501130535182339?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>The announcement came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky highlighted to his French counterpart the urgent need to control the situation and handle the impact&nbsp;of the incident.</p>

<p>During the call with French President Emmanuel Macron, they "spoke about the current situation in Kherson region, the environmental and humanitarian consequences of the Russian act of terrorism, and outlined the urgent needs of Ukraine to eliminate the disaster", Zelensky said in a tweet. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I had a thorough phone call with the President of 🇫🇷 France <a href="https://twitter.com/EmmanuelMacron?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EmmanuelMacron</a>. Thanked him for the opportunity to participate in the Summit of the European Political Community and for support at the UN Security Council. Spoke about the current situation in Kherson region, the…</p>
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1666484256799858689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>People forced to spend the night on roofs, trees due to flooding</strong></h2>

<p>The destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in Ukraine caused heavy flooding and people awaiting rescue in affected areas spent&nbsp;Tuesday night (June 6) on roofs or trees. The critical dam along the Dnipro River in Ukraine's Kherson region now held by Russia, collapsed on Tuesday. It is not yet clear who was responsible for the dam breach as both Kyiv&nbsp;and Moscow have been accusing each other.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Satellite images taken by Maxar Technologies showed houses and buildings submerged, with many showing only their roofs, and water taking over parks, land and infrastructure. And many such people slept on roofs and sat on trees, waiting to be rescued, the news agency Reuters reported.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>42,000 people at direct risk from flooding: Ukraine</strong></h2>

<p>The Ukrainian government estimated that around 42,000 people are at direct risk from flooding which is expected to peak on Wednesday, and hundreds and thousands would be left without access to drinking water.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a statement, the agriculture ministry said the disaster would cut off the water supply to 31 irrigation systems in the Ukrainian regions of Dnipro. The dam's destruction has left 94% of irrigation systems in Kherson, 74% of those in Zaporizhzhia, and 30% in Dnipro regions without water, the ministry added.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukrainian-prime-minister-denys-shmyhal-calls-kakhovka-dam-destruction-environmental-catastrophe-601821">Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal calls Kakhovka dam destruction 'environmental catastrophe'</a></p>

<p>Residents in affected areas have started fleeing, carrying children on their shoulders, dogs in their arms, and belongings in plastic bags while rescuers used rubber boats to search areas where the waters reached above head height.</p>

<h2><strong>Putin reacts, calls Kakhovka dam attack 'barbaric act'</strong></h2>

<p>President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday (June 7) called the attack on the Russian-occupied Kakhovka dam a "barbaric act", in his first public reaction to the situation. Moscow has already blamed Ukraine for the "catastrophic" attack.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The hydroelectric dam was ripped open early Tuesday after a reported blast and in the aftermath, Moscow and Kyiv have traded blame for the attack.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Kremlin said in a statement that Putin told Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call that the breach was "a barbaric act which has led to a large-scale environmental and humanitarian catastrophe".&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday released a statement saying that his country would send aid to Ukraine "within the next few hours" after the Kakhovka dam breach triggered floods forcing the people to spend the night on roofs and trees.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday released a statement saying that his country would send aid to Ukraine "within the next few hours" after the Kakhovka dam breach triggered floods forcing the people to spend the night on roofs and trees. "France condemns this atrocious act, which is endangering populations. Within the next few hours, we will send aid to meet immediate needs," Macron wrote on Twitter. I expressed to President Zelensky my solidarity with the Ukrainian people after the attack on the Kakhovka dam. France condemns this atrocious act, which is endangering populations. Within the next few hours, we will send aid to meet immediate needs. — Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 7, 2023 × The announcement came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky highlighted to his French counterpart the urgent need to control the situation and handle the impact of the incident. During the call with French President Emmanuel Macron, they "spoke about the current situation in Kherson region, the environmental and humanitarian consequences of the Russian act of terrorism, and outlined the urgent needs of Ukraine to eliminate the disaster", Zelensky said in a tweet. I had a thorough phone call with the President of 🇫🇷 France @EmmanuelMacron. Thanked him for the opportunity to participate in the Summit of the European Political Community and for support at the UN Security Council. Spoke about the current situation in Kherson region, the… — Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 7, 2023 × People forced to spend the night on roofs, trees due to flooding The destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in Ukraine caused heavy flooding and people awaiting rescue in affected areas spent Tuesday night (June 6) on roofs or trees. The critical dam along the Dnipro River in Ukraine's Kherson region now held by Russia, collapsed on Tuesday. It is not yet clear who was responsible for the dam breach as both Kyiv and Moscow have been accusing each other. Satellite images taken by Maxar Technologies showed houses and buildings submerged, with many showing only their roofs, and water taking over parks, land and infrastructure. And many such people slept on roofs and sat on trees, waiting to be rescued, the news agency Reuters reported. 42,000 people at direct risk from flooding: Ukraine The Ukrainian government estimated that around 42,000 people are at direct risk from flooding which is expected to peak on Wednesday, and hundreds and thousands would be left without access to drinking water. In a statement, the agriculture ministry said the disaster would cut off the water supply to 31 irrigation systems in the Ukrainian regions of Dnipro. The dam's destruction has left 94% of irrigation systems in Kherson, 74% of those in Zaporizhzhia, and 30% in Dnipro regions without water, the ministry added. Also read: Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal calls Kakhovka dam destruction 'environmental catastrophe' Residents in affected areas have started fleeing, carrying children on their shoulders, dogs in their arms, and belongings in plastic bags while rescuers used rubber boats to search areas where the waters reached above head height. Putin reacts, calls Kakhovka dam attack 'barbaric act' President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday (June 7) called the attack on the Russian-occupied Kakhovka dam a "barbaric act", in his first public reaction to the situation. Moscow has already blamed Ukraine for the "catastrophic" attack. The hydroelectric dam was ripped open early Tuesday after a reported blast and in the aftermath, Moscow and Kyiv have traded blame for the attack. The Kremlin said in a statement that Putin told Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call that the breach was "a barbaric act which has led to a large-scale environmental and humanitarian catastrophe". (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

French President Emmanuel Macron to send aid to Ukraine after Kakhovka dam breach

The Kakhovka dam explosion has resulted in floods and widespread destruction triggering a humanitarian crisis in the middle of a warzone. Now, it has unleashed a new threat, the scare of rogue landmines.

Ukraine dam: Dislodged mines a major concern

Here we bring you a quick round-up of all the latest news and top headlines from all across the globe - Kherson dam breach inundates nearby areas, Ukraine seeks urgent help from global aid groups, Burgum to compete with Trump, DeSantis, Pence and Christie, UK PM Rishi Sunak pledges to strengthen ties with the US.

Kherson dam breach inundates nearby areas | Ukraine seeks urgent help

<p>Moscow, at the top United Nations court,&nbsp;denied accusations by Kyiv about backing pro-Russian separatists accused of shooting down an aircraft in 2014 over Ukraine and discrimination against the Tatar ethnic group in Crimea, on Thursday (June 8). Russia also went on to call Ukraine’s accusations “blatant lies,” days after Kyiv called Moscow a “terrorist state.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>The hearing about the 2014 case came amid the ongoing conflict between the two countries and days after the attack on the Soviet-era Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro River in the Russia-occupied part of southern Ukraine for which both Moscow and Kyiv blamed each other.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>What was the hearing about?</strong></h2>

<p>The hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) was the first time Russian and Ukrainian lawyers faced each other since the beginning of what Moscow calls&nbsp;a “special military operation” in Ukraine.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/terrorist-state-ukraine-slams-russia-at-international-court-of-justice-hearing-601468">‘Terrorist state’: Ukraine slams Russia at International Court of Justice hearing</a></strong></p>

<p>The legal teams from both countries comprised dozens of representatives and two days after Ukraine presented the allegations, Russia was allowed to respond before a panel of 16 judges at the ICJ on the second day of the hearings.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to Kyiv, Moscow violated the UN conventions for financing terrorism and racial discrimination as it allegedly equipped and funded pro-Russian forces who shot down the Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine killing all 298 passengers and crew on board.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-launches-long-awaited-counteroffensive-to-reclaim-russian-occupied-territory-report-602192">Ukraine launches long-awaited counteroffensive to reclaim Russian-occupied territory: Reports</a></strong></p>

<p>Violence broke out in 2014 in Ukraine when at least 13,000 people were killed after pro-European Union protesters overthrew Kyiv’s Moscow-allied government. It was not soon after that Russia forcibly annexed Crimea.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ukraine has also called on the Hague-based court to order Russia to stop discrimination against the Tatar ethnic group in Crimea and claimed that after the region was annexed Moscow then “engaged in a campaign of cultural erasure, taking aim at ethnic Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars".</p>

<h2><strong>How has Russia responded to the allegations?</strong></h2>

<p>Over the years, Russia has repeatedly denied these allegations. On Thursday, the Russian ambassador to the Netherlands, Alexander Shulgin told the ICJ, “Ukraine is constantly turning to blatant lies and false accusations levelled against the Russian Federation.” He added, “Nothing could be further removed from the truth.”&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/collapse-of-critical-ukrainian-dam-sparks-evacuations-602151">Collapse of critical Ukrainian dam sparks evacuations</a></strong></p>

<p>Russia also reiterated the denial of claims and rejected the “scandalous” decision by the Dutch court in November that convicted two Russians and a Ukrainian separatist to life in absentia over the shooting of MH17 and their role. The court also found Russia had “overall control” over the separatist forces.</p>

<p>Furthermore, Russia’s ambassador-at-large, Gennady Kuzmin told the ICJ, that the verdict was biased against separatist forces in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, adding that “At the end of the day, Ukraine’s MH17 case boils down to nonsense.”&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-russia-ukraine-war-nova-kakhovka-dam-attack-what-we-know-so-far-601391">Explained | What we know so far about the Nova Kakhovka dam attack in Ukraine</a></strong></p>

<p>This comes days after Ukrainian lawyers said that the Russian officials were “guilty of terrorism financing” as they supplied the missile knowing it would be used to shoot down an aircraft.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Russian lawyers on the Nova Kakhovka dam collapse, neo-Nazis in Ukraine</strong></h2>

<p>Russia reiterated claims made by the Kremlin following the incident and said Ukraine destroyed the key dam with artillery strikes and that the government in Kyiv was led by neo-Nazis.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Ukraine has declared that Russia blew up the large dam at Nova Kakhovka. In fact, it’s Ukraine that did it,” said Shulgin, adding the “Kyiv regime not only launched massive artillery attacks against the dam…but it also deliberately raised the water level of the Kakhovka reservoir to a critical level.”&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/three-dead-due-to-flooding-from-kakhovka-dam-breach-600-sq-kms-of-kherson-oblast-under-water-602125">Three dead due to flooding from Kakhovka dam breach, 600 sq kms of Kherson Oblast under water</a></strong></p>

<p>This comes after a Ukrainian diplomat, reiterating&nbsp;statements from officials in Kyiv, on Tuesday, said “Just today, Russia blew up a major dam…causing significant civilian evacuations, ecological damage and threatening the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.”</p>

<p>The Russian lawyer also repeated President Vladimir Putin’s claim which he used to justify the war in Ukraine which is that Kyiv’s current government had “neo-Nazis” in key posts and accused them of “brutal repression” in the eastern Donbas region.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zelensky-visits-flood-hit-areas-medical-facility-after-nova-kakhovka-dam-collapse-602166">Zelensky visits flood-hit areas, medical facility after Nova Kakhovka dam collapse</a></strong></p>

<p>This comes after Putin said one of the goals of his “special military operation” was the “de-Nazification” of Ukraine. Representatives from Ukraine are expected to respond to these allegations next week.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em><br />
<br />
<em><strong>Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.</strong></em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


Moscow, at the top United Nations court, denied accusations by Kyiv about backing pro-Russian separatists accused of shooting down an aircraft in 2014 over Ukraine and discrimination against the Tatar ethnic group in Crimea, on Thursday (June 8).

Moscow, at the top United Nations court, denied accusations by Kyiv about backing pro-Russian separatists accused of shooting down an aircraft in 2014 over Ukraine and discrimination against the Tatar ethnic group in Crimea, on Thursday (June 8). Russia also went on to call Ukraine’s accusations “blatant lies,” days after Kyiv called Moscow a “terrorist state.” The hearing about the 2014 case came amid the ongoing conflict between the two countries and days after the attack on the Soviet-era Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro River in the Russia-occupied part of southern Ukraine for which both Moscow and Kyiv blamed each other. What was the hearing about? The hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) was the first time Russian and Ukrainian lawyers faced each other since the beginning of what Moscow calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine. ALSO READ | ‘Terrorist state’: Ukraine slams Russia at International Court of Justice hearing The legal teams from both countries comprised dozens of representatives and two days after Ukraine presented the allegations, Russia was allowed to respond before a panel of 16 judges at the ICJ on the second day of the hearings. According to Kyiv, Moscow violated the UN conventions for financing terrorism and racial discrimination as it allegedly equipped and funded pro-Russian forces who shot down the Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine killing all 298 passengers and crew on board. ALSO READ | Ukraine launches long-awaited counteroffensive to reclaim Russian-occupied territory: Reports Violence broke out in 2014 in Ukraine when at least 13,000 people were killed after pro-European Union protesters overthrew Kyiv’s Moscow-allied government. It was not soon after that Russia forcibly annexed Crimea. Ukraine has also called on the Hague-based court to order Russia to stop discrimination against the Tatar ethnic group in Crimea and claimed that after the region was annexed Moscow then “engaged in a campaign of cultural erasure, taking aim at ethnic Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars". How has Russia responded to the allegations? Over the years, Russia has repeatedly denied these allegations. On Thursday, the Russian ambassador to the Netherlands, Alexander Shulgin told the ICJ, “Ukraine is constantly turning to blatant lies and false accusations levelled against the Russian Federation.” He added, “Nothing could be further removed from the truth.” ALSO WATCH | Collapse of critical Ukrainian dam sparks evacuations Russia also reiterated the denial of claims and rejected the “scandalous” decision by the Dutch court in November that convicted two Russians and a Ukrainian separatist to life in absentia over the shooting of MH17 and their role. The court also found Russia had “overall control” over the separatist forces. Furthermore, Russia’s ambassador-at-large, Gennady Kuzmin told the ICJ, that the verdict was biased against separatist forces in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, adding that “At the end of the day, Ukraine’s MH17 case boils down to nonsense.” ALSO READ | Explained | What we know so far about the Nova Kakhovka dam attack in Ukraine This comes days after Ukrainian lawyers said that the Russian officials were “guilty of terrorism financing” as they supplied the missile knowing it would be used to shoot down an aircraft. Russian lawyers on the Nova Kakhovka dam collapse, neo-Nazis in Ukraine Russia reiterated claims made by the Kremlin following the incident and said Ukraine destroyed the key dam with artillery strikes and that the government in Kyiv was led by neo-Nazis. “Ukraine has declared that Russia blew up the large dam at Nova Kakhovka. In fact, it’s Ukraine that did it,” said Shulgin, adding the “Kyiv regime not only launched massive artillery attacks against the dam…but it also deliberately raised the water level of the Kakhovka reservoir to a critical level.” ALSO READ | Three dead due to flooding from Kakhovka dam breach, 600 sq kms of Kherson Oblast under water This comes after a Ukrainian diplomat, reiterating statements from officials in Kyiv, on Tuesday, said “Just today, Russia blew up a major dam…causing significant civilian evacuations, ecological damage and threatening the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.” The Russian lawyer also repeated President Vladimir Putin’s claim which he used to justify the war in Ukraine which is that Kyiv’s current government had “neo-Nazis” in key posts and accused them of “brutal repression” in the eastern Donbas region. ALSO READ | Zelensky visits flood-hit areas, medical facility after Nova Kakhovka dam collapse This comes after Putin said one of the goals of his “special military operation” was the “de-Nazification” of Ukraine. Representatives from Ukraine are expected to respond to these allegations next week. (With inputs from agencies) Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

MH17 crash: Russia calls Ukraine’s accusations 'blatant lies'; blames Kyiv for Kakhovka dam breach

The Ka-Kho-Vka dam explosion has resulted in floods and widespread destruction, triggering a humanitarian crisis in the middle of a warzone. Now, it has unleashed a new threat stray, rogue landmines which were planted along the river bank have been washed away.

Putin calls Ukraine dam explosion 'a barbaric act' as threat of rogue landmines loom large

The British prime minister Rishi Sunak is in Washington DC. This is his first visit since becoming the United Kingdom's Prime Minister. The analysts are expecting his meeting with US President Joe Biden will include discussions on support for Ukraine and the United Kingdom's role in regulating artificial intelligence and also the US-UK military alliance.

UK PM Rishi Sunak to host first Global Summit on AI safety in US, meets Senate leaders

<p>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the flood-hit region in the country’s eastern region Kherson, on Thursday (June 8) after the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam. He also visited a medical facility and met people evacuated from the region and thanked the “heroic” staff for their work.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the Kremlin&nbsp;on Thursday&nbsp;said that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not have any plans to visit the Russian-occupied areas of Kherson affected by the flooding.</p>

<h2><strong>Situation in flood-hit Kherson</strong></h2>

<p>So far, at least three people have been killed due to the floods triggered by the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine, according to The Kyiv Independent. On the other hand, Russian-installed authorities have said that at least five people were killed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the Ukrainian president visited Kherson to discuss emergency operations in the region. The destruction of the dam, for which both Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other,&nbsp;has unleashed flood water from the Dnipro River and prompted the evacuation of thousands of people.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ukrainian Governor Oleksandr Prokudin&nbsp;on Thursday said that 600 square kilometres of Kherson Oblast has been flooded, with some 68 per cent of the flooded land on the Russian-occupied east bank of the Dnipro River and 32 per cent on the Ukrainian-controlled west bank.</p>

<h2><strong>Zelensky visits Kherson to oversee response to the flood-hit regions</strong></h2>

<p>Kherson lies some 60 kilometres downstream from the Nova Kakhovka dam. Zelensky&nbsp;took to social media and wrote, “Working trip to Kherson region. A coordination meeting on the liquidation of consequences of the Kakhovka HPP (Hydroelectric Power Plant)&nbsp;dam explosion.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Many important issues were discussed. The operational situation in the region as a result of the disaster, evacuation of the population from potential flood zones, elimination of the emergency caused by the dam explosion, organization of life support for the flooded areas,” said Zelensky, on Telegram along with a video of his visit.</p>

<p>He added, “Also, the prospects for restoring the region’s ecosystem and the operational military situation in the man-made disaster area.” In a separate post, he also said that he visited the road crossing where people were being evacuated.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“It is important to calculate the damage and allocate funds to compensate residents affected by the disaster and develop a programme to compensate for losses or relocate businesses within the Kherson region,” said Zelensky.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Ukrainian president says Kherson will be rebuilt</strong></h2>

<p>Zelensky also visited the medical facility where he met with the locals and assured them that Kherson will be rebuilt after the floods. He took to Twitter and posted a video of himself visiting the medical facility and wrote, “At the evacuation point at one of Kherson’s medical institutions, I talked to our people affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant.”<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="uk">У пункті евакуації на базі одного з медзакладів Херсона поспілкувався з нашими людьми, які постраждали внаслідок руйнування Каховської ГЕС.<br />
<br />
Ми допоможемо, і все, що треба відновити, ми відбудуємо. Дякую вам і бажаю здоров’я.<br />
<br />
Хочу подякувати всьому персоналу медзакладу за роботу… <a href="https://t.co/8omzH8pVzy">pic.twitter.com/8omzH8pVzy</a></p>
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1666747862598799367?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Addressing the locals he also said, “We will help you and rebuild everything that needs to be restored. I thank you and wish you good health.” Zelensky also went on to thank “all the staff of the medical institution for their work even under fire. You are heroic people".</p>

<p><strong>Is Putin going to visit the Russian-occupied flood-hit areas?</strong><br />
&nbsp;<br />
The Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Putin does not have any plans to visit the Russian-occupied areas of Kherson affected by the flooding and was monitoring the situation.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em><br />
<br />
<em><strong>Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.</strong></em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the flood-hit region in the country’s eastern region Kherson, on Thursday (June 8) after the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the flood-hit region in the country’s eastern region Kherson, on Thursday (June 8) after the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam. He also visited a medical facility and met people evacuated from the region and thanked the “heroic” staff for their work. Meanwhile, the Kremlin on Thursday said that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not have any plans to visit the Russian-occupied areas of Kherson affected by the flooding. Situation in flood-hit Kherson So far, at least three people have been killed due to the floods triggered by the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine, according to The Kyiv Independent. On the other hand, Russian-installed authorities have said that at least five people were killed. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian president visited Kherson to discuss emergency operations in the region. The destruction of the dam, for which both Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other, has unleashed flood water from the Dnipro River and prompted the evacuation of thousands of people. Ukrainian Governor Oleksandr Prokudin on Thursday said that 600 square kilometres of Kherson Oblast has been flooded, with some 68 per cent of the flooded land on the Russian-occupied east bank of the Dnipro River and 32 per cent on the Ukrainian-controlled west bank. Zelensky visits Kherson to oversee response to the flood-hit regions Kherson lies some 60 kilometres downstream from the Nova Kakhovka dam. Zelensky took to social media and wrote, “Working trip to Kherson region. A coordination meeting on the liquidation of consequences of the Kakhovka HPP (Hydroelectric Power Plant) dam explosion.” “Many important issues were discussed. The operational situation in the region as a result of the disaster, evacuation of the population from potential flood zones, elimination of the emergency caused by the dam explosion, organization of life support for the flooded areas,” said Zelensky, on Telegram along with a video of his visit. He added, “Also, the prospects for restoring the region’s ecosystem and the operational military situation in the man-made disaster area.” In a separate post, he also said that he visited the road crossing where people were being evacuated. “It is important to calculate the damage and allocate funds to compensate residents affected by the disaster and develop a programme to compensate for losses or relocate businesses within the Kherson region,” said Zelensky. Ukrainian president says Kherson will be rebuilt Zelensky also visited the medical facility where he met with the locals and assured them that Kherson will be rebuilt after the floods. He took to Twitter and posted a video of himself visiting the medical facility and wrote, “At the evacuation point at one of Kherson’s medical institutions, I talked to our people affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant.” У пункті евакуації на базі одного з медзакладів Херсона поспілкувався з нашими людьми, які постраждали внаслідок руйнування Каховської ГЕС. Ми допоможемо, і все, що треба відновити, ми відбудуємо. Дякую вам і бажаю здоров’я. Хочу подякувати всьому персоналу медзакладу за роботу… pic.twitter.com/8omzH8pVzy — Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 8, 2023 × Addressing the locals he also said, “We will help you and rebuild everything that needs to be restored. I thank you and wish you good health.” Zelensky also went on to thank “all the staff of the medical institution for their work even under fire. You are heroic people". Is Putin going to visit the Russian-occupied flood-hit areas? The Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Putin does not have any plans to visit the Russian-occupied areas of Kherson affected by the flooding and was monitoring the situation. (With inputs from agencies) Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Zelensky visits flood-hit areas, medical facility following Nova Kakhovka dam collapse

<p>A United States-bound Air India flight which took off from the Indian capital city of&nbsp;Delhi was diverted to Russia’s Magadan, on Tuesday after a “technical issue” in one of the engines. The diversion incidentally took place a day after the CEO of a US carrier raised concerns about flights using Russian airspace with American citizens on board amid the ongoing tensions between Washington and Moscow.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Air India, on Thursday (June 7) also sent a replacement flight from Mumbai to Magadan to take the passengers to San Francisco from the Russian town. The flight&nbsp;touched down in San Francisco a little after midnight (local time). The incident took place in the midst of Moscow’s ban on some Western carriers and about the use of Russian airspace&nbsp;by&nbsp;foreign&nbsp;airlines with&nbsp;American passengers&nbsp;on board.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here’s what the Russian airspace row with the West is all about:&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>What happened to the Air India flight?</strong></h2>

<p>The San Francisco-bound flight&nbsp;from Delhi was carrying&nbsp;216 passengers and 16 crew. However, after facing some “technical issue” in one of the engines the AI173 was reported to have safely landed in the Russian town of Magadan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Indian airline went to assure that passengers were provided support on the ground and later confirmed that it would send an alternative aircraft while passengers are accommodated in local hotels in the Russian town.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-delhi-san-francisco-air-india-flight-diverted-to-russia-after-technical-issue-601306">Delhi-San Francisco Air India flight diverted to Russia after 'technical issue', US says closley monitoring</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>The emergency landing was confirmed by the Russian aviation authority Rosaviatsia. Citing a source present at the Magadan airport, Reuters reported that Air India engineers would arrive on the reserve plane with spare parts, on Wednesday.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
It was not until Thursday that Air India addressed the "technical issue"&nbsp;Boeing 777 encountered which was an indication of low oil pressure in one of the engines.&nbsp;"The aircraft encountered a technical issue whereby the pilots received an indication of low oil pressure in one engine. Out of caution, they elected to land the aircraft at a nearby airport rather than continue the journey," said Air India.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Washington is closely monitoring the situation</strong></h2>

<p>US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters they are aware of the incident and “are continuing to monitor the&nbsp;situation closely.”&nbsp;He added that since the flight was bound for the US, it is “likely” that there are American citizens on board.<br />
<br />
So far, Air India has not mentioned anything about the passengers'&nbsp;nationalities. It was on Wednesday, that&nbsp;Patel told reporters that less than 50 US&nbsp;citizens were aboard the Air India flight.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Row between Moscow and the West over airspace</strong></h2>

<p>The Air India incident has brought the recent tensions between the West and Russia over its airspace to the forefront. In a retaliatory move over the thousands of sanctions against Russia, it had last year banned certain foreign carriers from using its airspace, causing disruptions in the global air transport network.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This&nbsp;affected the aviation industry&nbsp;as it was forced to redraw air routes to avoid flying over the largest country in the world. Multiple airlines from the US, Europe, and Japan have already stopped flying over Russia. However, Gulf, China, as well as Air India, continue to use Russian airspace which has made flying times shorter and cut costs giving them an edge over their competitors.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/global-airline-industry-to-report-billions-in-losses-this-year-may-return-to-profit-in-2023-iata-540639">Global airline industry to report billions in losses this year; may return to profit in 2023: IATA</a></strong></p>

<p>Over a year ago, days after Russia began what it calls its “special military operation in Ukraine,” Moscow had moved to ban airlines from 36 countries over the sanctions imposed, which included all 27 member nations of the European Union, Canada, and the United Kingdom. This was after the US, UK, Canada, and Europe banned Russian aircraft from flying over their airspace.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This move prompted US airlines to lobby in Capitol Hill and at the White House as they were losing business to foreign competitors who could take passengers between the US and Asia faster and at a lower cost. Industry lobbying group Airlines for America told lawmakers in Washington last year that the US carriers are expected to witness collective losses of up to $2 billion per year.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Over the years, US airlines were able to access to Russian airspace following a series of agreements between Moscow and Washington. The US-based and other foreign carriers would pay what amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars per year to the Russian government as a fee for their air traffic control support, reported the New York Times, citing industry sources.</p>

<h2><strong>United Airlines, Air India chiefs argue at recent global industry meet</strong></h2>

<p>The incident in Russia took place a day after the CEOs of United Airlines and Air India butted heads at the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) annual meeting&nbsp;held in Istanbul. Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, raised concerns about planes flying through Russian airspace with American citizens onboard.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“What’s going to happen if an airline lands in Russia with some prominent US citizens on board? That is a potential crisis in the making,” said Kirby, adding that this issue should be solved “before the crisis happens".</p>

<p>However, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson defended the airline’s use of Russian airspace. “Air India, we operate according to the ambit of what is provided to us by the nation of India and not all nations agree,” said Wilson. He added, “So there are going to be different outcomes as a consequence.”&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-air-india-inks-one-of-the-biggest-deals-in-aviation-history-562464">Gravitas: Air India inks one of the biggest deals in aviation history</a></strong></p>

<p>The disagreement, yet again, has&nbsp;brought to the fore&nbsp;the strategic and geographic importance of Russia as the world’s largest country in global aviation. Kirby also said United was forced to stop operating several flights to India before the COVID-19 pandemic and now “we fly one and it’s an extra two hours.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>“It’s clearly a big impact to us,” said the US carrier’s CEO, adding that even with the extra time it cannot fly the other routes non-stop. Additionally, US carriers have also pushed for the government to discourage carriers from landing on US soil after crossing Russian airspace as they are paying Moscow for it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Some Chinese airlines have also avoided flying over Russian airspace to and from the US, months after Senators urged President Joe Biden administration’s to stop Chinese airlines and foreign carriers from flying over Russia, as per Reuters.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Should geopolitical differences affect aviation?</strong></h2>

<p>During the meeting in Istanbul, IATA Director General Willie Walsh told Reuters, “What we would like to see is everybody using Russian airspace. I’m clear that it's not a security or a safety issue.” Similarly, Vinod Kannan, CEO of Indian airline Vistara said as long as the “law of the land” is not violated, it should not be an issue.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“It's a sensitive geopolitical issue and applying geopolitics to the aviation industry that does so much to link the world, I’m not sure that’s a link that should be made,” said Wilson, as quoted by Reuters.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It is also worth noting that Kirby’s concerns are not entirely unfounded. In 2018, a Norwegian Air Boeing 737 was forced to make an emergency landing in Iran weeks after Washington had re-imposed sanctions. While the passengers flew out of Iran the next day, the aircraft was stranded for two months as its engines were made by US-based General Electric which waited weeks for a US Treasury export licence.</p>

<h2><strong>Air India sends replacement flight</strong></h2>

<p>Air India sent a replacement plane to ferry stranded passengers in Russia from Mumbai, on Thursday. “The ferry flight is carrying essentials in addition to a sufficient amount of food to cater to all passengers on the onward flight scheduled from GDX (Magadan airport) to San Francisco (SFO),” said the Indian carrier, in a statement.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">UPDATE: FERRY FLIGHT TO MAGADAN AIRBORNE<br />
<br />
Our ferry flight AI195 from Mumbai (BOM) to Magadan, Russia (GDX) is now airborne, and is expected to arrive at GDX at 0630 Hours (local time) on 08 June 2023.<br />
<br />
An Air India team is on board the flight to provide any support that the… <a href="https://t.co/oIwrqrF3po">pic.twitter.com/oIwrqrF3po</a></p>
— Air India (@airindia) <a href="https://twitter.com/airindia/status/1666387382629793792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>The airline also said that “given the infrastructural limitations around the remote airport, we can confirm that all passengers were eventually moved to makeshift accommodation&nbsp;after making sincere attempts to accommodate passengers in hotels locally with the help of local government authorities.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>“As we do not have Air India staff based in the remote town of Magadan or in Russia, all ground support being provided to passengers is the best possible in this unusual circumstance,” said Air India. The Indian Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia also confirmed that Air India told the ministry some passengers had been housed in a school building near the airport.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
In an update, on Thursday (June 8), Air India said&nbsp;Flight AI173D from Magadan (GDX) landed safely in San Francisco (SFO) at 12:07 am&nbsp;(local time). It added, "All our passengers are being extended maximum on-ground assistance with clearance formalities and provided other necessary support."&nbsp;</p>

<p>Air India Chief Customer Experience and Ground Handling Officer Rajesh Dogra, on Thursday, issuing an apology said, "We will fully refund the fare for your journey and, in addition, provide you a voucher for future travel on Air India," as quoted by PTI.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Air India’s passengers affected by US sanctions on Russia</strong></h2>

<p>A report by the Associated Press, citing Delhi-San Francisco flight passengers, said that they have been barred from leaving the makeshift accommodation where they have been staying and cannot use their credit cards to buy items from vending machines or stores because of the sanctions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Additionally, speaking to the Indian media, a passenger also said how many US citizens were worried due to the ongoing tensions between Moscow and Washington.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em><br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


A United States-bound Air India flight which took off from the Indian capital city of Delhi was diverted to Russia’s Magadan, on Tuesday after a “technical issue” in one of the engines.

A United States-bound Air India flight which took off from the Indian capital city of Delhi was diverted to Russia’s Magadan, on Tuesday after a “technical issue” in one of the engines. The diversion incidentally took place a day after the CEO of a US carrier raised concerns about flights using Russian airspace with American citizens on board amid the ongoing tensions between Washington and Moscow. Air India, on Thursday (June 7) also sent a replacement flight from Mumbai to Magadan to take the passengers to San Francisco from the Russian town. The flight touched down in San Francisco a little after midnight (local time). The incident took place in the midst of Moscow’s ban on some Western carriers and about the use of Russian airspace by foreign airlines with American passengers on board. Here’s what the Russian airspace row with the West is all about: What happened to the Air India flight? The San Francisco-bound flight from Delhi was carrying 216 passengers and 16 crew. However, after facing some “technical issue” in one of the engines the AI173 was reported to have safely landed in the Russian town of Magadan. The Indian airline went to assure that passengers were provided support on the ground and later confirmed that it would send an alternative aircraft while passengers are accommodated in local hotels in the Russian town. ALSO READ | Delhi-San Francisco Air India flight diverted to Russia after 'technical issue', US says closley monitoring The emergency landing was confirmed by the Russian aviation authority Rosaviatsia. Citing a source present at the Magadan airport, Reuters reported that Air India engineers would arrive on the reserve plane with spare parts, on Wednesday. It was not until Thursday that Air India addressed the "technical issue" Boeing 777 encountered which was an indication of low oil pressure in one of the engines. "The aircraft encountered a technical issue whereby the pilots received an indication of low oil pressure in one engine. Out of caution, they elected to land the aircraft at a nearby airport rather than continue the journey," said Air India. Washington is closely monitoring the situation US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters they are aware of the incident and “are continuing to monitor the situation closely.” He added that since the flight was bound for the US, it is “likely” that there are American citizens on board. So far, Air India has not mentioned anything about the passengers' nationalities. It was on Wednesday, that Patel told reporters that less than 50 US citizens were aboard the Air India flight. Row between Moscow and the West over airspace The Air India incident has brought the recent tensions between the West and Russia over its airspace to the forefront. In a retaliatory move over the thousands of sanctions against Russia, it had last year banned certain foreign carriers from using its airspace, causing disruptions in the global air transport network. This affected the aviation industry as it was forced to redraw air routes to avoid flying over the largest country in the world. Multiple airlines from the US, Europe, and Japan have already stopped flying over Russia. However, Gulf, China, as well as Air India, continue to use Russian airspace which has made flying times shorter and cut costs giving them an edge over their competitors. ALSO READ | Global airline industry to report billions in losses this year; may return to profit in 2023: IATA Over a year ago, days after Russia began what it calls its “special military operation in Ukraine,” Moscow had moved to ban airlines from 36 countries over the sanctions imposed, which included all 27 member nations of the European Union, Canada, and the United Kingdom. This was after the US, UK, Canada, and Europe banned Russian aircraft from flying over their airspace. This move prompted US airlines to lobby in Capitol Hill and at the White House as they were losing business to foreign competitors who could take passengers between the US and Asia faster and at a lower cost. Industry lobbying group Airlines for America told lawmakers in Washington last year that the US carriers are expected to witness collective losses of up to $2 billion per year. Over the years, US airlines were able to access to Russian airspace following a series of agreements between Moscow and Washington. The US-based and other foreign carriers would pay what amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars per year to the Russian government as a fee for their air traffic control support, reported the New York Times, citing industry sources. United Airlines, Air India chiefs argue at recent global industry meet The incident in Russia took place a day after the CEOs of United Airlines and Air India butted heads at the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) annual meeting held in Istanbul. Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, raised concerns about planes flying through Russian airspace with American citizens onboard. “What’s going to happen if an airline lands in Russia with some prominent US citizens on board? That is a potential crisis in the making,” said Kirby, adding that this issue should be solved “before the crisis happens". However, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson defended the airline’s use of Russian airspace. “Air India, we operate according to the ambit of what is provided to us by the nation of India and not all nations agree,” said Wilson. He added, “So there are going to be different outcomes as a consequence.” ALSO WATCH | Gravitas: Air India inks one of the biggest deals in aviation history The disagreement, yet again, has brought to the fore the strategic and geographic importance of Russia as the world’s largest country in global aviation. Kirby also said United was forced to stop operating several flights to India before the COVID-19 pandemic and now “we fly one and it’s an extra two hours.” “It’s clearly a big impact to us,” said the US carrier’s CEO, adding that even with the extra time it cannot fly the other routes non-stop. Additionally, US carriers have also pushed for the government to discourage carriers from landing on US soil after crossing Russian airspace as they are paying Moscow for it. Some Chinese airlines have also avoided flying over Russian airspace to and from the US, months after Senators urged President Joe Biden administration’s to stop Chinese airlines and foreign carriers from flying over Russia, as per Reuters. Should geopolitical differences affect aviation? During the meeting in Istanbul, IATA Director General Willie Walsh told Reuters, “What we would like to see is everybody using Russian airspace. I’m clear that it's not a security or a safety issue.” Similarly, Vinod Kannan, CEO of Indian airline Vistara said as long as the “law of the land” is not violated, it should not be an issue. “It's a sensitive geopolitical issue and applying geopolitics to the aviation industry that does so much to link the world, I’m not sure that’s a link that should be made,” said Wilson, as quoted by Reuters. It is also worth noting that Kirby’s concerns are not entirely unfounded. In 2018, a Norwegian Air Boeing 737 was forced to make an emergency landing in Iran weeks after Washington had re-imposed sanctions. While the passengers flew out of Iran the next day, the aircraft was stranded for two months as its engines were made by US-based General Electric which waited weeks for a US Treasury export licence. Air India sends replacement flight Air India sent a replacement plane to ferry stranded passengers in Russia from Mumbai, on Thursday. “The ferry flight is carrying essentials in addition to a sufficient amount of food to cater to all passengers on the onward flight scheduled from GDX (Magadan airport) to San Francisco (SFO),” said the Indian carrier, in a statement. UPDATE: FERRY FLIGHT TO MAGADAN AIRBORNE Our ferry flight AI195 from Mumbai (BOM) to Magadan, Russia (GDX) is now airborne, and is expected to arrive at GDX at 0630 Hours (local time) on 08 June 2023. An Air India team is on board the flight to provide any support that the… pic.twitter.com/oIwrqrF3po — Air India (@airindia) June 7, 2023 × The airline also said that “given the infrastructural limitations around the remote airport, we can confirm that all passengers were eventually moved to makeshift accommodation after making sincere attempts to accommodate passengers in hotels locally with the help of local government authorities.” “As we do not have Air India staff based in the remote town of Magadan or in Russia, all ground support being provided to passengers is the best possible in this unusual circumstance,” said Air India. The Indian Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia also confirmed that Air India told the ministry some passengers had been housed in a school building near the airport. In an update, on Thursday (June 8), Air India said Flight AI173D from Magadan (GDX) landed safely in San Francisco (SFO) at 12:07 am (local time). It added, "All our passengers are being extended maximum on-ground assistance with clearance formalities and provided other necessary support." Air India Chief Customer Experience and Ground Handling Officer Rajesh Dogra, on Thursday, issuing an apology said, "We will fully refund the fare for your journey and, in addition, provide you a voucher for future travel on Air India," as quoted by PTI. Air India’s passengers affected by US sanctions on Russia A report by the Associated Press, citing Delhi-San Francisco flight passengers, said that they have been barred from leaving the makeshift accommodation where they have been staying and cannot use their credit cards to buy items from vending machines or stores because of the sanctions. Additionally, speaking to the Indian media, a passenger also said how many US citizens were worried due to the ongoing tensions between Moscow and Washington. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Explained | How Air India’s diverted flight to Russia landed amid airspace row between Moscow, the West

Russia and Ukraine are struggling to contain the effects of one of the biggest humanitarian crises unleashed due to the war, the breach of the key Ukrainian Dam. It has triggered a massive flood downstream. At least seven people have already died in the flood affected areas and the political blame game is on more in our next report.

Who is using the Dnipro River as a weapon in war? | Russia-Ukraine war updates

Ukraine dam breach: Russia-Ukraine blame game continues

Leaked Pentagon papers suggest Ukraine blew up the Nord Stream pipeline and the CIA knew about it at least 3 months before the attack, as did the European intel agency. Why did the White House then not stop Kyiv from bombing critical infrastructure?

Gravitas | Ukraine bombed Russia's Nord Stream pipeline, CIA had prior intel: Leaked files

<p>India remains non-committal to inviting Ukraine to the G20 summit, scheduled to be held later this year in New Delhi. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a special briefing on Thursday to mark nine years of the Narendra Modi government wherein he made it clear&nbsp;that no invitation had been sent to Ukraine.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"G20 is only for members. Haven’t reviewed the list nor has anyone talked to us about it," said Jaishankar.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The EAM confirmed invites for the summit had been sent, immediately after India assumed the presidency. The statement by Jaishankar effectively brings an end to rumours that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may get the opportunity to address the G20 countries during the summit.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">"G20 is only for members. Haven’t reviewed the list nor has anyone talked to us about it", EAM Jaishankar on if Ukraine president Ukraine Zelenskyy be invited for G20 summit in Delhi</p>
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) <a href="https://twitter.com/sidhant/status/1666702195457429505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Jaishankar's statement should not come as a surprise as he has previously iterated that&nbsp;G20 was not a platform to debate international peace and security.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I think our contribution was to get G20 back to the G20's real business. The G20 is not the UN Security Council. It is not the primary forum to debate international peace and security," Jaishankar had said during an event in March.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He added issues such as&nbsp;international peace and security did matter, but other issues such as&nbsp;food and energy security, green financing for nations took prominence on the G20 stage.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We actually got something novel for the G20 to look at -- Global Skills Mapping. Where are the skills in the world and where&nbsp;is the demand in the world. They are in two different geographies. So, how do we actually put that together? I think that is a very interesting avenue which we have opened up for G20."&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Kyiv's attempts to secure participation&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>In April, Ukraine's first deputy foreign affairs minister Emine Dzhaparova visited New Delhi and attempted to set the ball rolling for Ukraine's participation in the G20 summit.</p>

<p>"I think India is a global player. It is really a 'Vishwaguru' of the world. We are feeling the pain by actually fighting for the values. This is about justice... Russia is questioning the very existence of my country. In our history of 1,500 years, Ukraine never attacked any country," said&nbsp;Dzheppar.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, the statement by Jaishankar may have come as a blow to Kyiv's hopes.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/indian-pm-modi-speaks-to-ukraine-president-zelensky-459763"><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Indian PM Modi speaks to Ukraine President Zelensky</strong></a></p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/indian-pm-modi-speaks-to-ukraine-president-zelensky-459763/embed" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zelensky-writes-letter-to-pm-modi-seeks-humanitarian-aid-participation-in-g20-summit-581584#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></p>

<h2>A tall order&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Zelensky addressing the G20 summit was always going to be a tall order, especially considering Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to attend the meet in New Delhi.</p>

<p>Even after the foreign ministers' meeting held in March, India said&nbsp;the differences over Ukraine "could not be reconciled".</p>

<p>"We tried, but the gap between the countries was too much," said Jaishankar.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Notably, the G20, which includes the world's 19 wealthiest nations plus the European Union, accounts for 85 per cent&nbsp;of global economic output and two-thirds of its population.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


India remains non-committal to inviting Ukraine to the G20 summit, scheduled to be held later this year in New Delhi. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a special briefing on Thursday to mark nine years of the Narendra Modi government wherein he made it clear that no invitation had been sent to Ukraine.

India remains non-committal to inviting Ukraine to the G20 summit, scheduled to be held later this year in New Delhi. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a special briefing on Thursday to mark nine years of the Narendra Modi government wherein he made it clear that no invitation had been sent to Ukraine. "G20 is only for members. Haven’t reviewed the list nor has anyone talked to us about it," said Jaishankar. The EAM confirmed invites for the summit had been sent, immediately after India assumed the presidency. The statement by Jaishankar effectively brings an end to rumours that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may get the opportunity to address the G20 countries during the summit. "G20 is only for members. Haven’t reviewed the list nor has anyone talked to us about it", EAM Jaishankar on if Ukraine president Ukraine Zelenskyy be invited for G20 summit in Delhi — Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) June 8, 2023 × Jaishankar's statement should not come as a surprise as he has previously iterated that G20 was not a platform to debate international peace and security. "I think our contribution was to get G20 back to the G20's real business. The G20 is not the UN Security Council. It is not the primary forum to debate international peace and security," Jaishankar had said during an event in March. He added issues such as international peace and security did matter, but other issues such as food and energy security, green financing for nations took prominence on the G20 stage. "We actually got something novel for the G20 to look at -- Global Skills Mapping. Where are the skills in the world and where is the demand in the world. They are in two different geographies. So, how do we actually put that together? I think that is a very interesting avenue which we have opened up for G20." Kyiv's attempts to secure participation In April, Ukraine's first deputy foreign affairs minister Emine Dzhaparova visited New Delhi and attempted to set the ball rolling for Ukraine's participation in the G20 summit. "I think India is a global player. It is really a 'Vishwaguru' of the world. We are feeling the pain by actually fighting for the values. This is about justice... Russia is questioning the very existence of my country. In our history of 1,500 years, Ukraine never attacked any country," said Dzheppar. However, the statement by Jaishankar may have come as a blow to Kyiv's hopes. WATCH | Indian PM Modi speaks to Ukraine President Zelensky × A tall order Zelensky addressing the G20 summit was always going to be a tall order, especially considering Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to attend the meet in New Delhi. Even after the foreign ministers' meeting held in March, India said the differences over Ukraine "could not be reconciled". "We tried, but the gap between the countries was too much," said Jaishankar. Notably, the G20, which includes the world's 19 wealthiest nations plus the European Union, accounts for 85 per cent of global economic output and two-thirds of its population. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

India's foreign minister Jaishankar confirms Ukraine has not been invited to G20 summit

The collapse of Ukraine's Kakhovka dam sparks fears of an ecological catastrophe.

'Ukraine dam breach an environmental bomb' | WION Climate Tracker

<p>The Kakhovka dam was damaged recently, becoming the next flashpoint of the Russia- Ukrainian war. Both parties have accused the other of blowing up the structure. In the midst of this controversy, two women have drawn attention to the threats posed by the Kakhovka dam’s breakage. Alisa Malysheva and Alisa Malysheva dropped a series of pictures on Instagram with a poster that reads, "My Home Is Flooding Because Of Russia."</p>

<p>“Today Russians committed a terrorist act by blowing up the Kakhovka dam, which was under Russian control for more than a year. This is likely the biggest technological disaster Europe has experienced in decades," the post said.</p>

<p>The post continued, “As a result, more than 13 settlements were flooded, more than 1,300 people evacuated so far. The statistics is only about territory which is controlled by Ukraine, the consequences on the occupied by Russians territory is bigger and hidden. Destruction of hydroelectric power plants is considered a weapon of mass destruction and a war crime. Russians are dangerous for everything alive.”</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CtKC1ATtB52/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:16px;">
<div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 19% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CtKC1ATtB52/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>

<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CtKC1ATtB52/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CtKC1ATtB52/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by соня квітка (@your_kvitka)</a></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>On June 6, the Kakhovka dam, which maintains a massive reservoir of 2,155 square kilometres on the Dnipro river, was attacked. The dam provides water to a large region of the southern Ukrainian countryside, including the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula. It also serves to cool the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, which is in control of Russian forces, as per Reuters. The reservoir holds 18 cubic kilometres of water, which is approximately equal to the Great Salt Lake in the United States.</p>

<p>The Kakhovka dam was constructed in the mid-1950s during the Soviet Union era. The reservoir is 140 kilometres long and 23 kilometres wide. Since the dam was damaged, images and videos of flooded cities and villages have been making the rounds on social media.</p>

<p>The &nbsp;Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station is not under any immediate threat. "Our current assessment is that there is no immediate risk to the safety of the Zaporizhzhia plant," International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi told Reuters.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:
107%;font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:
minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;
mso-ansi-language:EN-IN;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.</span></i></strong></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


The Kakhovka dam was damaged recently, becoming the next flashpoint of the Russia- Ukrainian war. Both parties have accused the other of blowing up the structure.

The Kakhovka dam was damaged recently, becoming the next flashpoint of the Russia- Ukrainian war. Both parties have accused the other of blowing up the structure. In the midst of this controversy, two women have drawn attention to the threats posed by the Kakhovka dam’s breakage. Alisa Malysheva and Alisa Malysheva dropped a series of pictures on Instagram with a poster that reads, "My Home Is Flooding Because Of Russia." “Today Russians committed a terrorist act by blowing up the Kakhovka dam, which was under Russian control for more than a year. This is likely the biggest technological disaster Europe has experienced in decades," the post said. The post continued, “As a result, more than 13 settlements were flooded, more than 1,300 people evacuated so far. The statistics is only about territory which is controlled by Ukraine, the consequences on the occupied by Russians territory is bigger and hidden. Destruction of hydroelectric power plants is considered a weapon of mass destruction and a war crime. Russians are dangerous for everything alive.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by соня квітка (@your_kvitka) × On June 6, the Kakhovka dam, which maintains a massive reservoir of 2,155 square kilometres on the Dnipro river, was attacked. The dam provides water to a large region of the southern Ukrainian countryside, including the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula. It also serves to cool the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, which is in control of Russian forces, as per Reuters. The reservoir holds 18 cubic kilometres of water, which is approximately equal to the Great Salt Lake in the United States. The Kakhovka dam was constructed in the mid-1950s during the Soviet Union era. The reservoir is 140 kilometres long and 23 kilometres wide. Since the dam was damaged, images and videos of flooded cities and villages have been making the rounds on social media. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station is not under any immediate threat. "Our current assessment is that there is no immediate risk to the safety of the Zaporizhzhia plant," International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi told Reuters. Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Ukrainian women accuse Russia of blowing up dam, rendering thousands homeless

In Pics | Ukraine dam collapse: Three dead, thousands displaced due to floods

<p>The Soviet-era Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro River in the Russia-occupied part of southern Ukraine came under attack on Tuesday (June 6) amid&nbsp;the ongoing conflict. The partial destruction of the dam, as per both officials in Moscow and Kyiv has unleashed a torrent of water.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Officials in Ukraine,&nbsp;hours after the damage, confirmed that some two dozen settlements had been flooded and at least 17,000 people have since been evacuated. The Russian-occupied city of Nova Kakhovka in southern Ukraine is home to the dam that both sides have accused each other of attacking.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Kyiv has also called for the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)&nbsp;to hold an emergency meeting over what it has described as a&nbsp;“Russian terrorist act”.&nbsp;Meanwhile, the Kremlin has dubbed the attack on the Nova Kakhovka dam as a “deliberate sabotage” by Ukraine. The UNSC has agreed to meet later on Tuesday to discuss the dam issue after both Moscow and Kyiv called for the meeting.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>About the Nova Kakhovka dam</strong></h2>

<p>The Soviet-era dam, which is 98 feet tall and 3.2 kilometres long, was built in 1956 on the Dnipro River and holds significant amounts of water. The dam is a part of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant in the Russia-occupied city of Nova Kakhovka in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to Reuters, the water that the dam can hold amounts to that of the Great Salt Lake in the US state of Utah which is approximately 18 cubic kilometres. It is also one of the six dams that sit along the Dnipro River and is often referred to as the Kakhovka Sea as one cannot see the other bank in certain places, reported BBC.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The dam is also responsible for the water supply to southern Ukraine’s agricultural land, the Russia-annexed Crimean peninsula and the Moscow-held Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). The reservoir also feeds the Soviet-era North Crimean Canal which supplies around 85 per cent of Crimea’s water.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The dam’s reservoir also provides water&nbsp;essential for cooling the six reactors at the power plant. Additionally, farmers in the surrounding area&nbsp;also rely on the water from this dam to grow their crops and thousands are now set to face trouble in the region.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Notably, Geneva Conventions explicitly bans targeting dams during wars, due to the dangers posed to civilians by the destruction of such “works and installations containing dangerous forces”.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>What happened at Nova Kakhovka dam?</strong></h2>

<p>Russia and Ukraine have both blamed each other for the supposed attack which has led to massive damage to the dam's structure. Kyiv, which was reportedly the first one to report the damage to the Nova Kakhovka dam, blamed Russia. On the other hand,&nbsp;there have been conflicting reports from the Russia-installed officials.</p>

<p>Images and videos from the scene show a massive breach in the dam with a large amount of water flowing downstream in the direction of the Ukrainian city of Kherson. Meanwhile, neither Kyiv nor Moscow have offered immediate public evidence to back up their claims.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>‘Terrorist attack,’ ‘ecocide’: Ukraine about&nbsp;Nova Kakhovka dam&nbsp;incident</strong></h2>

<p>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused “Russian terrorists” of destroying the dam. He went on to allege that the Russian forces blew up the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station from the inside and must be held accountable for this “terrorist attack.”</p>

<p>The Ukrainian president after an emergency meeting of senior officials said that the incident took place at around 2:50 am (local time) and an “internal detonation of the structures of the Kakhovskaya HPP" occurred. "About 80 settlements are in the zone of flooding”.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Zelensky also said that the “world must react,” adding, “This is just one Russian act of terrorism. This is just one Russian war crime,” and went on to accuse Moscow of committing an act of “ecocide.” “Russia is at war with life, with nature, with civilisation. Russia must leave Ukrainian land and must be held fully accountable for its terror,” said the Ukrainian president.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A Ukrainian military spokesperson has also alleged that the dam was attacked to prevent Kyiv’s troops from crossing the Dnipro River to attack Russian troops occupying the area. The incident comes as Ukraine said Monday it was conducting “offensive action"&nbsp;on the front line amid speculation that the long-expected counteroffensive is underway.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>From no attack to ‘deliberate sabotage’: What did Russia say about the&nbsp;accusations?</strong></h2>

<p>As per initial reports, a Russia-installed official in Zaporizhzhia Vladimir Rogov said no attack had taken place and that the dam collapsed due to existing damage and the pressure of the water. It was not until&nbsp;later that the Kremlin spokesperson said that it was a Ukrainian attempt to stop the water&nbsp;supply to the Crimean peninsula which Russia had annexed back in 2014.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“We can state unequivocally that we are talking about deliberate sabotage by the Ukrainian side,” said the Kremlin spokesperson. He added, “All responsibility lies with the Kyiv regime.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Clearly one of the aims of this act of sabotage was to deprive Crimea of water - the water level in the reservoir is dropping and, accordingly, the water supply to the canal is being drastically reduced,” said Peskov.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, Russia had taken steps to deal with the water supply issue in Crimea, he added. The Kremlin spokesperson also went on to say that this “sabotage is also connected with the fact that having started large-scale offensive actions two days ago”.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Moscow has also “decisively rejected” accusations by Kyiv and the West that Russian troops were behind a blast that caused damage to the dam. Meanwhile, the Russian-backed head of Crimea said there was no immediate threat to the peninsula’s water supply or flooding risk but warned of potential threats that the Northern Crimean Canal “will get more shallow,” said Sergei Aksyonov.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>‘Completely destroyed’: What’s the damage at the dam?</strong></h2>

<p>Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said that 17,000 people were being evacuated from flooded areas and more than 40,000 people are in danger of being flooded. He also warned that some 25,000 more people should be evacuated on the Russian-occupied side of the Dnipro River.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In an interview, Igor Syrota, head of Ukrhydroenergo, a Ukrainian state-owned energy company said that the Nova Kakhovka dam had been “completely destroyed” and the station “cannot be restored,” reported AFP.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ukrainian officials have reported that some 150 tonnes of engine oil spilt in the Dnipro River due to the attack it has blamed on Russia, while Zelensky said there was “a risk of further leakage of more than 300 tons".</p>

<p>Speaking about the environmental impact, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that the floods have caused “long and irreversible harm” to the ecosystems and reported that animals at the Nova Kakhovka Zoo have "already died in the rising water".&nbsp;</p>

<p>Europe’s largest ZNPP, which is currently under Russian control, was reported not to be under “immediate risk” by the International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em><br />
<br />
<em><strong>Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.</strong></em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


The Soviet-era Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro River in the Russia-occupied part of southern Ukraine came under attack on Tuesday (June 6) amid the ongoing conflict.

The Soviet-era Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro River in the Russia-occupied part of southern Ukraine came under attack on Tuesday (June 6) amid the ongoing conflict. The partial destruction of the dam, as per both officials in Moscow and Kyiv has unleashed a torrent of water. Officials in Ukraine, hours after the damage, confirmed that some two dozen settlements had been flooded and at least 17,000 people have since been evacuated. The Russian-occupied city of Nova Kakhovka in southern Ukraine is home to the dam that both sides have accused each other of attacking. Kyiv has also called for the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to hold an emergency meeting over what it has described as a “Russian terrorist act”. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has dubbed the attack on the Nova Kakhovka dam as a “deliberate sabotage” by Ukraine. The UNSC has agreed to meet later on Tuesday to discuss the dam issue after both Moscow and Kyiv called for the meeting. About the Nova Kakhovka dam The Soviet-era dam, which is 98 feet tall and 3.2 kilometres long, was built in 1956 on the Dnipro River and holds significant amounts of water. The dam is a part of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant in the Russia-occupied city of Nova Kakhovka in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region. According to Reuters, the water that the dam can hold amounts to that of the Great Salt Lake in the US state of Utah which is approximately 18 cubic kilometres. It is also one of the six dams that sit along the Dnipro River and is often referred to as the Kakhovka Sea as one cannot see the other bank in certain places, reported BBC. The dam is also responsible for the water supply to southern Ukraine’s agricultural land, the Russia-annexed Crimean peninsula and the Moscow-held Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). The reservoir also feeds the Soviet-era North Crimean Canal which supplies around 85 per cent of Crimea’s water. The dam’s reservoir also provides water essential for cooling the six reactors at the power plant. Additionally, farmers in the surrounding area also rely on the water from this dam to grow their crops and thousands are now set to face trouble in the region. Notably, Geneva Conventions explicitly bans targeting dams during wars, due to the dangers posed to civilians by the destruction of such “works and installations containing dangerous forces”. What happened at Nova Kakhovka dam? Russia and Ukraine have both blamed each other for the supposed attack which has led to massive damage to the dam's structure. Kyiv, which was reportedly the first one to report the damage to the Nova Kakhovka dam, blamed Russia. On the other hand, there have been conflicting reports from the Russia-installed officials. Images and videos from the scene show a massive breach in the dam with a large amount of water flowing downstream in the direction of the Ukrainian city of Kherson. Meanwhile, neither Kyiv nor Moscow have offered immediate public evidence to back up their claims. ‘Terrorist attack,’ ‘ecocide’: Ukraine about Nova Kakhovka dam incident Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused “Russian terrorists” of destroying the dam. He went on to allege that the Russian forces blew up the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station from the inside and must be held accountable for this “terrorist attack.” The Ukrainian president after an emergency meeting of senior officials said that the incident took place at around 2:50 am (local time) and an “internal detonation of the structures of the Kakhovskaya HPP" occurred. "About 80 settlements are in the zone of flooding”. Zelensky also said that the “world must react,” adding, “This is just one Russian act of terrorism. This is just one Russian war crime,” and went on to accuse Moscow of committing an act of “ecocide.” “Russia is at war with life, with nature, with civilisation. Russia must leave Ukrainian land and must be held fully accountable for its terror,” said the Ukrainian president. A Ukrainian military spokesperson has also alleged that the dam was attacked to prevent Kyiv’s troops from crossing the Dnipro River to attack Russian troops occupying the area. The incident comes as Ukraine said Monday it was conducting “offensive action" on the front line amid speculation that the long-expected counteroffensive is underway. From no attack to ‘deliberate sabotage’: What did Russia say about the accusations? As per initial reports, a Russia-installed official in Zaporizhzhia Vladimir Rogov said no attack had taken place and that the dam collapsed due to existing damage and the pressure of the water. It was not until later that the Kremlin spokesperson said that it was a Ukrainian attempt to stop the water supply to the Crimean peninsula which Russia had annexed back in 2014. “We can state unequivocally that we are talking about deliberate sabotage by the Ukrainian side,” said the Kremlin spokesperson. He added, “All responsibility lies with the Kyiv regime.” “Clearly one of the aims of this act of sabotage was to deprive Crimea of water - the water level in the reservoir is dropping and, accordingly, the water supply to the canal is being drastically reduced,” said Peskov. However, Russia had taken steps to deal with the water supply issue in Crimea, he added. The Kremlin spokesperson also went on to say that this “sabotage is also connected with the fact that having started large-scale offensive actions two days ago”. Moscow has also “decisively rejected” accusations by Kyiv and the West that Russian troops were behind a blast that caused damage to the dam. Meanwhile, the Russian-backed head of Crimea said there was no immediate threat to the peninsula’s water supply or flooding risk but warned of potential threats that the Northern Crimean Canal “will get more shallow,” said Sergei Aksyonov. ‘Completely destroyed’: What’s the damage at the dam? Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said that 17,000 people were being evacuated from flooded areas and more than 40,000 people are in danger of being flooded. He also warned that some 25,000 more people should be evacuated on the Russian-occupied side of the Dnipro River. In an interview, Igor Syrota, head of Ukrhydroenergo, a Ukrainian state-owned energy company said that the Nova Kakhovka dam had been “completely destroyed” and the station “cannot be restored,” reported AFP. Ukrainian officials have reported that some 150 tonnes of engine oil spilt in the Dnipro River due to the attack it has blamed on Russia, while Zelensky said there was “a risk of further leakage of more than 300 tons". Speaking about the environmental impact, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that the floods have caused “long and irreversible harm” to the ecosystems and reported that animals at the Nova Kakhovka Zoo have "already died in the rising water". Europe’s largest ZNPP, which is currently under Russian control, was reported not to be under “immediate risk” by the International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi. (With inputs from agencies) Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Explained | What we know so far about the Nova Kakhovka dam attack in Ukraine

In a rare acknowledgment of losses, Russia says 71 of its soldiers were killed while thwarting a Ukrainian counter-offensive. The admission came from none other than the Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu. Russian Defense Ministry also released a video of the incident where tanks could be seen coming under attack from aerial positions.

Russia's rare acknowledgment of losses | Russia-Ukraine war updates

<p>Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Wednesday said that the Kakhovka dam explosion was "one of the most significant environmental catastrophes in Europe in recent decades".</p>

<p>While speaking at the OECD in Paris via video link, Shmyhal said "dozens of towns and villages will struggle with potable (drinking) water supply".&nbsp;</p>

<p>He further added that the attack would also "affect irrigation systems in southern Ukraine, leading to drought and crop failures. This strikes at the heart of global food security".</p>

<p>"The destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant meant at least 150 tonnes of machine oil has leaked into the (Dnipro) river with the risk of an additional 300 tonnes seeping out. This poses a threat to the unique flora and fauna," he said.</p>

<p>He called the act a "crime against humanity and an ecocide. Therefore Russia must face a powerful and unified response, not mere words".</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/was-the-ukraine-dam-partially-damaged-days-before-it-collapsed-satellite-images-show-detailed-insights-601745">Was the Ukraine dam partially damaged days before it collapsed? Satellite images show detailed insights</a></p>

<p>Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Russia for exploding an "environmental bomb of mass destruction", saying that the authorities expected up to 80 settlements to be flooded and called&nbsp;for the world to "react".</p>

<h2><strong>People forced to spend the night on roofs, trees due to flooding</strong></h2>

<p>The destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in Ukraine caused people awaiting rescue in affected areas to spend Tuesday night (June 6) on roofs or trees due to flooding.</p>

<p>Satellite images taken by Maxar Technologies showed houses and buildings submerged, with&nbsp;only&nbsp;roofs visible, and water taking over parks, land and infrastructure. And many such people slept on roofs and sat on trees, waiting to be rescued, the news agency Reuters reported.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Ukrainian government estimated that around 42,000 people are at direct risk from flooding which is expected to peak on Wednesday, and hundreds and thousands would be left without access to drinking water.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a statement, the agriculture ministry said the disaster would cut off the water supply to 31 irrigation systems in the Ukrainian regions of Dnipro. The dam's destruction has left 94 per cent&nbsp;of irrigation systems in Kherson, 74 per cent&nbsp;of those in Zaporizhzhia, and 30 per cent&nbsp;in Dnipro regions without water, the ministry added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Residents in affected areas have started fleeing, carrying children on their shoulders, dogs in their arms, and belongings in plastic bags while rescuers used rubber boats to search areas where the waters reached above head height.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Wednesday said that the Kakhovka dam explosion was "one of the most significant environmental catastrophes in Europe in recent decades".

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Wednesday said that the Kakhovka dam explosion was "one of the most significant environmental catastrophes in Europe in recent decades". While speaking at the OECD in Paris via video link, Shmyhal said "dozens of towns and villages will struggle with potable (drinking) water supply". He further added that the attack would also "affect irrigation systems in southern Ukraine, leading to drought and crop failures. This strikes at the heart of global food security". "The destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant meant at least 150 tonnes of machine oil has leaked into the (Dnipro) river with the risk of an additional 300 tonnes seeping out. This poses a threat to the unique flora and fauna," he said. He called the act a "crime against humanity and an ecocide. Therefore Russia must face a powerful and unified response, not mere words". Also read: Was the Ukraine dam partially damaged days before it collapsed? Satellite images show detailed insights Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Russia for exploding an "environmental bomb of mass destruction", saying that the authorities expected up to 80 settlements to be flooded and called for the world to "react". People forced to spend the night on roofs, trees due to flooding The destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in Ukraine caused people awaiting rescue in affected areas to spend Tuesday night (June 6) on roofs or trees due to flooding. Satellite images taken by Maxar Technologies showed houses and buildings submerged, with only roofs visible, and water taking over parks, land and infrastructure. And many such people slept on roofs and sat on trees, waiting to be rescued, the news agency Reuters reported. The Ukrainian government estimated that around 42,000 people are at direct risk from flooding which is expected to peak on Wednesday, and hundreds and thousands would be left without access to drinking water. In a statement, the agriculture ministry said the disaster would cut off the water supply to 31 irrigation systems in the Ukrainian regions of Dnipro. The dam's destruction has left 94 per cent of irrigation systems in Kherson, 74 per cent of those in Zaporizhzhia, and 30 per cent in Dnipro regions without water, the ministry added. Residents in affected areas have started fleeing, carrying children on their shoulders, dogs in their arms, and belongings in plastic bags while rescuers used rubber boats to search areas where the waters reached above head height. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal calls Kakhovka dam destruction 'environmental catastrophe'

<p>The White House said on Tuesday (June 6) that it cannot ‘conclusively’ say what was behind the destruction of a massive dam in Ukraine. However, White House Spokesman John Kirby said that reports that the blast was caused by Russia were being assessed. Russia has been in occupation of the dam since last year.</p>

<p>Kirby noted that the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro River may likely have caused "many deaths" and evacuation of thousands of Ukrainians. Dnipro River separates Russian and Ukrainian forces in southern Ukraine.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Russia's rare acknowledgment of losses</strong>&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russias-rare-acknowledgment-of-losses-russia-ukraine-war-updates-601462/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Kirby told reporters the damage could have a devastating impact on Ukraine's energy security.</p>

<p>"We've seen the reports that Russia was responsible for the explosion at the dam," he said. "We're doing the best we can to assess those reports, and we are working with the Ukrainians to gather more information, but we cannot say conclusively what happened."</p>

<p>Ukraine has accused Russia of blowing up the Nova Kakhovka dam. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has claimed that it was Ukraine that sabotaged the dam.</p>

<p>Kyiv said the destruction of the dam — seized by Russia in the early hours of the war — was an attempt by Moscow to hamper its long-awaited offensive, which Ukraine's leader stressed would not be affected.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-russia-ukraine-war-nova-kakhovka-dam-attack-what-we-know-so-far-601391">Explained | What we know so far about the Nova Kakhovka dam attack in Ukraine</a></strong></p>

<p>Kirby opined that it was too soon to discuss the effect of the development on Ukraine's long-planned counteroffensive. He did stress that Russian forces were in illegal occupation of the dam and were in control of it when the blast took place. However, Kirby said that US officials had not determined whether the blast was an intentional act.</p>

<h2><strong>Destruction of dam a war crime?</strong></h2>

<p>Asked if the destruction of the dam would constitute a war crime, Kirby said international law forbade the destruction of civilian infrastructure.</p>

<p>He said US officials would continue to work with humanitarian partners on the ground to supply aid to those affected.</p>

<p>Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24 last year. After sustained territorial gains in the first few months of the war, the Russian forces had to retreat in the face of the Ukrainian counteroffensive. Large swathes of land were won back by Ukrainian forces. As much as the credit goes to the fortitude of the Ukrainian military, the massive international help has been seen as a major factor that affected the situation on the battlefield.</p>

<p>Western countries, led by the United States, have poured in millions and millions in humanitarian as well as military help. This has boosted the military capacity of Ukraine.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p>You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form"><strong>here</strong></a>.</p>

<p><strong><em>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</em></strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The White House said on Tuesday (June 6) that it cannot ‘conclusively’ say what was behind the destruction of a massive dam in Ukraine. However, White House Spokesman John Kirby said that reports that the blast was caused by Russia were being assessed.

The White House said on Tuesday (June 6) that it cannot ‘conclusively’ say what was behind the destruction of a massive dam in Ukraine. However, White House Spokesman John Kirby said that reports that the blast was caused by Russia were being assessed. Russia has been in occupation of the dam since last year. Kirby noted that the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro River may likely have caused "many deaths" and evacuation of thousands of Ukrainians. Dnipro River separates Russian and Ukrainian forces in southern Ukraine. Watch | Russia's rare acknowledgment of losses × Kirby told reporters the damage could have a devastating impact on Ukraine's energy security. "We've seen the reports that Russia was responsible for the explosion at the dam," he said. "We're doing the best we can to assess those reports, and we are working with the Ukrainians to gather more information, but we cannot say conclusively what happened." Ukraine has accused Russia of blowing up the Nova Kakhovka dam. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has claimed that it was Ukraine that sabotaged the dam. Kyiv said the destruction of the dam — seized by Russia in the early hours of the war — was an attempt by Moscow to hamper its long-awaited offensive, which Ukraine's leader stressed would not be affected. Also Read | Explained | What we know so far about the Nova Kakhovka dam attack in Ukraine Kirby opined that it was too soon to discuss the effect of the development on Ukraine's long-planned counteroffensive. He did stress that Russian forces were in illegal occupation of the dam and were in control of it when the blast took place. However, Kirby said that US officials had not determined whether the blast was an intentional act. Destruction of dam a war crime? Asked if the destruction of the dam would constitute a war crime, Kirby said international law forbade the destruction of civilian infrastructure. He said US officials would continue to work with humanitarian partners on the ground to supply aid to those affected. Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24 last year. After sustained territorial gains in the first few months of the war, the Russian forces had to retreat in the face of the Ukrainian counteroffensive. Large swathes of land were won back by Ukrainian forces. As much as the credit goes to the fortitude of the Ukrainian military, the massive international help has been seen as a major factor that affected the situation on the battlefield. Western countries, led by the United States, have poured in millions and millions in humanitarian as well as military help. This has boosted the military capacity of Ukraine. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Ukraine dam explosion: US not sure but possibility of Russian role being assessed

A key dam in Kherson, on the banks of the Dnipro river. That's the latest casualty in the Russia-Ukraine war. The dam was blown up less than 24 hours ago and this has sent a torrent of floodwaters into the warzone. Here is a complete breakdown of the breach that has opened the floodgates of suffering and blame game.

Kherson dam explosion opens floodgates of blame game between Russia & Ukraine

Ukrainians abandoned inundated homes as floodwaters crested across a swathe of the south on Wednesday after the destruction of a vast hydro-electric dam on the front line between Russian and Ukrainian forces that each blamed on the other.

Ukrainians face homelessness, disease as floodwaters crest from destroyed dam

Here we bring you a quick round-up of all the latest news and top headlines from all across the globe: Ukraine called on an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to discuss Kherson dam destruction.

Russia-Ukraine War: Kyiv calls on UNSC to discuss Kherson dam destruction | WION Speed News

<p>Kyiv called Russia a “terrorist state,” on Tuesday (June 6), at the top United Nations court at the hearing of Moscow’s alleged backing of pro-Russian separatists accused of shooting down an aircraft in 2014 over Ukraine which killed nearly 300 people.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The hearing about the 2014 case also came amid the ongoing conflict between the two countries and hours after the attack on the Soviet-era Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro River in the Russia-occupied part of southern Ukraine with both Moscow and Kyiv blaming&nbsp;each other.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>What was the hearing about?</strong></h2>

<p>Notably, the hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) was the first time where Russian and Ukrainian lawyers faced each other since the beginning of what Moscow has called its “special military operation” in Ukraine. The case was filed by Kyiv in 2017 at the World Court against the&nbsp;Moscow-backed rebels and accused Russia of violating the UN anti-terrorism treaty. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The legal teams from both countries comprised&nbsp;dozens of representatives but on Tuesday only Ukraine presented arguments before a panel of 16 judges at the ICJ.&nbsp;Russia will get the opportunity to respond on Thursday. Ukraine will then respond on June 12 and Russia will present again two days later.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to Kyiv, Moscow violated the UN conventions for financing terrorism and racial discrimination as it allegedly equipped and funded pro-Russian forces who shot down the Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine killing all 298 passengers and crew on board.</p>

<p>The&nbsp;Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane&nbsp;was reportedly shot down by a Russian-made missile in July. Moscow&nbsp;has since denied these allegations. There was also violence that&nbsp;took place in 2014 in Ukraine when at least 13,000 people were killed when pro-European Union protesters overthrew Kyiv’s Moscow-allied government. It was not soon after that Russia had forcibly annexed Crimea.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Ukrainian representatives call Russia ‘terrorist state’</strong></h2>

<p>In his opening remarks, Ukrainian Ambassador-at-Large Anton Korynevych spoke about the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam which Kyiv has blamed Moscow for. “Russia cannot defeat us on the battlefield, so it targets civilian infrastructure to try to freeze us into submission,” said the Ukrainian diplomat.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Russia’s actions are the actions of a terrorist state, an aggressor. But such actions did not appear out of the blue. They are the tragic but logical outcome of the situation we brought to this court’s attention back in 2017,”&nbsp;he added.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Ukrainian diplomat reiterating statements from officials in Kyiv, said, “Just today, Russia blew up a major dam…causing significant civilian evacuations, ecological damage and threatening the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.”</p>

<p>Ukraine has also called on the Hague-based court to order Russia to stop discrimination against the Tatar ethnic group in Crimea. Korynevych also said that Russia’s “contempt for international law didn't start in 2022” but when it annexed Crimea in 2014, adding that Moscow then “engaged in a campaign of cultural erasure, taking aim at ethnic Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, Russia is now “trying to wipe us from the map” with the ongoing invasion, said the Ukrainian lawyer. Moscow&nbsp;has denied the claims of systematic human rights abuses in the Ukrainian territory that it controls.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Ukrainian lawyers also spoke about the Dutch court verdict in November that convicted two Russians and a Ukrainian separatist to life in absentia over the shooting of MH17 and their role. The court also found Russia had “overall control” over the separatist forces.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ukrainian lawyers said that the Russian officials were “guilty of terrorism financing” as they supplied the missile knowing it would be used to shoot down an aircraft. Ukrainian lawyer Marney Cheek also said how Moscow also supplied rebels with rocket systems that were used in a “reign of terror” on civilians in 2015.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“What did Russia do to prevent and suppress this financing of terrorism? Nothing,” the lawyer added.<br />
<br />
Notably, Russia has previously tried to get the case filed by Ukraine&nbsp;thrown out saying that the International Criminal Court (ICC) does not have jurisdiction.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In 2022, after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv filed a separate case which accused Moscow of planning genocide. This led the ICJ to order a suspension of the invasion. The ICC also issued a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in March, on war crimes over forced deportations of Ukrainian children.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em><br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


Kyiv called Russia a “terrorist state,” on Tuesday (June 6), at the top United Nations court at the hearing of Moscow’s alleged backing of pro-Russian separatists accused of shooting down an aircraft in 2014 over Ukraine which killed nearly 300 people.

Kyiv called Russia a “terrorist state,” on Tuesday (June 6), at the top United Nations court at the hearing of Moscow’s alleged backing of pro-Russian separatists accused of shooting down an aircraft in 2014 over Ukraine which killed nearly 300 people. The hearing about the 2014 case also came amid the ongoing conflict between the two countries and hours after the attack on the Soviet-era Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro River in the Russia-occupied part of southern Ukraine with both Moscow and Kyiv blaming each other. What was the hearing about? Notably, the hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) was the first time where Russian and Ukrainian lawyers faced each other since the beginning of what Moscow has called its “special military operation” in Ukraine. The case was filed by Kyiv in 2017 at the World Court against the Moscow-backed rebels and accused Russia of violating the UN anti-terrorism treaty. The legal teams from both countries comprised dozens of representatives but on Tuesday only Ukraine presented arguments before a panel of 16 judges at the ICJ. Russia will get the opportunity to respond on Thursday. Ukraine will then respond on June 12 and Russia will present again two days later. According to Kyiv, Moscow violated the UN conventions for financing terrorism and racial discrimination as it allegedly equipped and funded pro-Russian forces who shot down the Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine killing all 298 passengers and crew on board. The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane was reportedly shot down by a Russian-made missile in July. Moscow has since denied these allegations. There was also violence that took place in 2014 in Ukraine when at least 13,000 people were killed when pro-European Union protesters overthrew Kyiv’s Moscow-allied government. It was not soon after that Russia had forcibly annexed Crimea. Ukrainian representatives call Russia ‘terrorist state’ In his opening remarks, Ukrainian Ambassador-at-Large Anton Korynevych spoke about the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam which Kyiv has blamed Moscow for. “Russia cannot defeat us on the battlefield, so it targets civilian infrastructure to try to freeze us into submission,” said the Ukrainian diplomat. “Russia’s actions are the actions of a terrorist state, an aggressor. But such actions did not appear out of the blue. They are the tragic but logical outcome of the situation we brought to this court’s attention back in 2017,” he added. The Ukrainian diplomat reiterating statements from officials in Kyiv, said, “Just today, Russia blew up a major dam…causing significant civilian evacuations, ecological damage and threatening the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.” Ukraine has also called on the Hague-based court to order Russia to stop discrimination against the Tatar ethnic group in Crimea. Korynevych also said that Russia’s “contempt for international law didn't start in 2022” but when it annexed Crimea in 2014, adding that Moscow then “engaged in a campaign of cultural erasure, taking aim at ethnic Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars.” However, Russia is now “trying to wipe us from the map” with the ongoing invasion, said the Ukrainian lawyer. Moscow has denied the claims of systematic human rights abuses in the Ukrainian territory that it controls. The Ukrainian lawyers also spoke about the Dutch court verdict in November that convicted two Russians and a Ukrainian separatist to life in absentia over the shooting of MH17 and their role. The court also found Russia had “overall control” over the separatist forces. Ukrainian lawyers said that the Russian officials were “guilty of terrorism financing” as they supplied the missile knowing it would be used to shoot down an aircraft. Ukrainian lawyer Marney Cheek also said how Moscow also supplied rebels with rocket systems that were used in a “reign of terror” on civilians in 2015. “What did Russia do to prevent and suppress this financing of terrorism? Nothing,” the lawyer added. Notably, Russia has previously tried to get the case filed by Ukraine thrown out saying that the International Criminal Court (ICC) does not have jurisdiction. In 2022, after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv filed a separate case which accused Moscow of planning genocide. This led the ICJ to order a suspension of the invasion. The ICC also issued a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in March, on war crimes over forced deportations of Ukrainian children. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

‘Terrorist state’: Ukraine slams Russia at International Court of Justice hearing

<p>The US knew of a Ukrainian plan to attack the Nord Stream pipelines as early as three months before underwater explosions damaged them, claimed the Washington Post in a report. The news outlet cited leaked information posted online. The report said that America's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) learned in June last year that a Ukrainian special operations force consisting of six people intended to blow up the pipelines.</p>

<p>Nord Stream pipelines carry natural gas from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea. In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the pipelines and the subsequent explosions had assumed great political importance.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The intelligence cited by the Washington Post was reportedly shared on chat platform Discord, allegedly by Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira, who was arrested for the leak of classified documents.</p>

<p>Teixeira was recently charged for leaking sensitive US documents. The Post said that it got a copy from one of Teixeira's online friends. The intelligence report was based on information obtained from an individual in Ukraine. The newspaper said that the CIA shared it with Germany and other European countries in June 2022.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Russia's rare acknowledgment of losses</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russias-rare-acknowledgment-of-losses-russia-ukraine-war-updates-601462/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Post said officials in multiple countries had confirmed that the intelligence summary posted on Discord accurately stated what the European service told the CIA.</p>

<p>The report in the Washington Post said that the newspaper was withholding the name of the European intelligence agency as well as some aspects of the alleged plan after a request from government officials.</p>

<p>Reuters said that the CIA and White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Nord Stream 1 and the newly built Nord Stream 2 pipelines were ruptured after several undersea explosions took place last year in September. The explosions occurred in the economic zones of Sweden and Denmark.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-russia-ukraine-war-nova-kakhovka-dam-attack-what-we-know-so-far-601391">Explained | What we know so far about the Nova Kakhovka dam attack in Ukraine</a></strong></p>

<p>Both nations have said that the explosions were deliberate. However, it is yet to be clearly determined who was responsible. The two countries are investigating the incident along with Germany.</p>

<h2><strong>The situation last year</strong></h2>

<p>Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year. As the Western countries led by the US imposed harsh economic sanctions on Russia, the latter responded by leveraging its position as the major energy supplier of Europe. Russia even halted energy supplies, partially in some cases, which sent fuel prices skywards globally. It was feared that Europe and particularly Ukraine would face extremely harsh conditions due to energy shortage and approaching winter in the latter part of the year.</p>

<p>The explosions rupturing Nord Stream pipelines hence came into quick international focus and both sides accused the other of doing the deed in order to play politics over it.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p>You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form"><strong>here</strong></a>.</p>

<p><em><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></em></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The US knew of a Ukrainian plan to attack the Nord Stream pipelines as early as three months before underwater explosions damaged them, claimed the Washington Post in a report.

The US knew of a Ukrainian plan to attack the Nord Stream pipelines as early as three months before underwater explosions damaged them, claimed the Washington Post in a report. The news outlet cited leaked information posted online. The report said that America's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) learned in June last year that a Ukrainian special operations force consisting of six people intended to blow up the pipelines. Nord Stream pipelines carry natural gas from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea. In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the pipelines and the subsequent explosions had assumed great political importance. The intelligence cited by the Washington Post was reportedly shared on chat platform Discord, allegedly by Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira, who was arrested for the leak of classified documents. Teixeira was recently charged for leaking sensitive US documents. The Post said that it got a copy from one of Teixeira's online friends. The intelligence report was based on information obtained from an individual in Ukraine. The newspaper said that the CIA shared it with Germany and other European countries in June 2022. Watch | Russia's rare acknowledgment of losses × The Post said officials in multiple countries had confirmed that the intelligence summary posted on Discord accurately stated what the European service told the CIA. The report in the Washington Post said that the newspaper was withholding the name of the European intelligence agency as well as some aspects of the alleged plan after a request from government officials. Reuters said that the CIA and White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Nord Stream 1 and the newly built Nord Stream 2 pipelines were ruptured after several undersea explosions took place last year in September. The explosions occurred in the economic zones of Sweden and Denmark. Also Read | Explained | What we know so far about the Nova Kakhovka dam attack in Ukraine Both nations have said that the explosions were deliberate. However, it is yet to be clearly determined who was responsible. The two countries are investigating the incident along with Germany. The situation last year Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year. As the Western countries led by the US imposed harsh economic sanctions on Russia, the latter responded by leveraging its position as the major energy supplier of Europe. Russia even halted energy supplies, partially in some cases, which sent fuel prices skywards globally. It was feared that Europe and particularly Ukraine would face extremely harsh conditions due to energy shortage and approaching winter in the latter part of the year. The explosions rupturing Nord Stream pipelines hence came into quick international focus and both sides accused the other of doing the deed in order to play politics over it. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

US knew of Ukrainian plan to blow up Nord Stream three months before blasts: Report

Months after launching an investigation, the world still does not have a concrete answer to the question - Who was behind the Nord Stream blast? But a Washington Post now claimed that the attack was carried out by a group of special Ukrainian servicemen.

US intelligence CIA was aware months before blasts, says report

As per reports, the Biden administration received an intelligence report that Ukraine had a plan for an attack on the Nord Stream pipelines three months before an underwater explosion disabled the natural gas link from Russia to Germany.

Another example of price of war on people: United Nations | WION Newspoint

A key dam in Kherson, on the banks of the Dnipro river. That's the latest casualty in the Russia-Ukraine war. The dam was blown up less than 24 hours ago and this has sent a torrent of floodwaters into the warzone. Here is a complete breakdown of the breach that has opened the floodgates of suffering and blame game. The dam explosion has transformed the front lines. It comes just as Ukraine gets ready to launch a long-awaited counteroffensive to drive Russian troops from its territory.

Dam blast triggers blame game at UNSC meet | Russia-Ukraine war updates

Thousands of people are being evacuated downstream of a major dam which has collapsed in Russian-held Ukraine.

Kakhovka damage sparks flooding, evacuations

Kakhovka dam explosion: When water was used as a weapon of destruction

Ukraine's fifth largest dam- The Kakhovka dam has been blown up. It used to provide water to cool the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. With the dam now lying damaged, has the risk of a nuclear disaster reached an unprecedented level?

Gravitas | Ukraine's Kakhovka Dam Blown Up: Will it trigger a nuclear disaster?

ukraine

Ukraine, News on Ukraine, stories on Ukraine, articles on Ukraine, Ukraine stories at Wion, Ukraine news, Ukraine latest news