Russia raises to 17 the death toll in the areas under its control due to the destruction of the Kajovka dam

June 13 () –

At least 17 people have died in the areas of Kherson controlled by Russian forces after the destruction last week of the Kajovka dam, according to the pro-Russian authorities, who have updated this Friday the official balance of victims derived from the heavy floods.

The pro-Russian governor, Andrei Alekseenko, has reported on his Telegram channel at least 12 deaths in the Jola Pristan area and another five in Oleshki, in both cases near the Dnieper river. The authorities have promised to pay compensation to the victims, according to the Russian news agency Interfax.

Ukrainian authorities have blamed Russia for the destruction of the dam, allegedly caused by the planting of explosives. Moscow has instead pointed to kyiv, claiming that the infrastructure was hit by artillery shells fired by Ukrainian forces.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, about fifty towns are still flooded, 17 of them in the “temporarily occupied” zone. In the Ukrainian part alone, more than 2,700 people have been evacuated, while the official death toll on this side of the Dnieper remains at ten people.