Romania's president Klaus Iohannis condemned on Tuesday, June 6, the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in Ukraine, which caused the flooding of houses and streets in the region, forcing thousands to flee their homes.

"The destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam is another war crime by Russia against innocent civilians. Russia and Russian perpetrators must be held accountable. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this horrible attack," president Iohannis said in a post on Twitter. 

The destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam is another war crime by Russia against innocent civilians. Russia and Russian perpetrators must be held accountable. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this horrible attack.

— Klaus Iohannis (@KlausIohannis) June 6, 2023

However, the situation is not very clear, as Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other for the dam collapse. According to the Associated Press, Russian and Ukrainian officials used terms like "ecological disaster" and "terrorist act" to describe the dam's damage.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters on Tuesday that the United Nations had no access to independent information to verify how the catastrophe had occurred. "But one thing is clear: this is another devastating consequence of the Russian invasion of Ukraine," he said.

The UN official also stated that the tragedy "was yet another example of the horrific price of war on people. The floodgates of suffering have been overflowing for more than a year, and that must stop," along with all attacks on civilians and infrastructure.

Moreover, as water from the reservoir of the Kakhovka dam is also used to cool the nearby Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant (ZNPP) - Europe's largest, the situation raised further concerns. However, Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said the facility has back-up options available and "there is no short-term risk to nuclear safety and security."

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Presidency.ro)