Russia blows up Kakhovka Dam to prevent counteroffensive

Russia's blowing up of the Kakhovka dam is a terrorist act aimed at preventing the counteroffensive of Ukrainian troops, but it will not stop Ukrainians from liberating all their territories.

According to an Ukrinform correspondent, this was stated by the First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna Danylo Kubay during a meeting of the OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation.

"The blowing up of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam is nothing more than a terrorist act. This is the largest man-made disaster in Europe in recent decades and another example of the Russian ecocide in Ukraine. The Kremlin committed this horrific act of terrorism in an attempt to prevent any potential counteroffensive by Ukrainian troops. The occupiers are ready to turn the theater of operations into a natural disaster zone just to deter the liberation of Ukrainian lands," Kubay said.

The Ukrainian diplomat pointed to President Zelenskyy's statement that the disaster at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant caused by Russian terrorists "will not stop Ukraine and Ukrainians" and that all Ukrainian lands will be liberated.

Kubay noted that in order to destroy Ukraine nofollow and undermine the determination of the Ukrainian people to resist the aggressor, the Russian Federation "persistently carries out air and missile strikes throughout Ukraine." "Last week alone, Russian troops launched 64 cruise and ballistic missiles of various types, carried out 377 air strikes, used 76 Shahed UAVs, and launched 375 strikes from multiple launch rocket systems," he added.

The diplomat informed the delegation about Russia's missile attacks on residential areas of Kryvyi Rih and Odesa and other rear cities, which is "a continuation of Russia's terrorist campaign against the civilian population."

"Russia is suffering defeats at the front and is taking revenge on the civilian population of Ukraine," he emphasized.

Against this backdrop, the Ukrainian diplomat pointed out that over the past week alone, the Ukrainian Defense Forces have advanced 6.5 kilometers and liberated 7 settlements in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, establishing control over 90 square kilometers of territory.

"The Armed Forces of Ukraine will continue their offensive until the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders is completely liberated from the Russian occupiers. We express our gratitude to all of Ukraine's international partners who continue to provide us with the necessary support to achieve this goal," Kubay said.

He emphasized that "the only viable solution to end the ongoing war is to achieve victory over the aggressor state and defeat it on the battlefield." "We are confident that this goal will be achieved," the diplomat added.

Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 15/06/2023