Destruction of the Kakhovka Dam — 6 June 2023 event on the Dnieper River during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
The Kakhovka Dam breach caused catastrophic flooding in Kherson Oblast, displacing thousands and raising concerns about Crimea's water supply during the Ukraine war.
Key Facts
- Dam height
- 30 m (98 ft)
- Dam length
- 3.2 km (2 mi)
- Breached segment length
- 85 m (279 ft)
- Peak flood level (21 June)
- 5.61 m (18.4 ft) average in Kherson Oblast
- Officially reported deaths
- 59 drowned (Russian authorities)
- Missing persons (by 21 June)
- 31
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Kakhovka Dam, held under Russian military control since the early days of the invasion, had seen reservoir water levels rise to a 30-year high. Experts widely concluded that Russian forces deliberately detonated part of the dam's hydroelectric power station to obstruct a planned Ukrainian counter-offensive, an accusation Russian authorities denied.
In the early hours of 6 June 2023, the Kakhovka Dam on the Dnieper River was breached. Blasts were heard by Ukrainian and Russian sources, regional seismometers detected explosions, and a satellite recorded an infrared heat signature of an explosion. An approximately 85-metre segment of the 3.2-kilometre dam was destroyed.
Severe flooding submerged villages across Ukrainian- and Russian-controlled areas of Kherson Oblast, prompting mass evacuations. Official death tolls reached 59, though local informants indicated hundreds died in Oleshky alone. Farmland, infrastructure, and homes were damaged, and the loss of reservoir water threatened long-term supplies to Crimea and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent