The destruction of a dam in the southern Kherson region will have a catastrophic effect on clearing landmines, many of which are floating in the floodwaters, the Red Cross has warned.
”We knew where the hazards were,” said Erik Tollefsen, head of the Weapon Contamination Unit at the International Committee of the Red Cross. “Now we don’t know. All we know is that they are somewhere downstream.”
“This is a major concern because it will affect not just the population, but also all of those that are coming in to help,” he added.
The collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam on Tuesday came as Ukraine prepared to launch a major counteroffensive against Russia’s invasion.
Around 600 sq km of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region remains under water, 68 per cent of which are located on the Russian-occupied left bank of the Dnipro River, the regional governor said on Thursday.