Maria Zakharova, Director of Russia’s Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Top Propagandist, made absurd, theatrical accusations against Ukraine and the West during her most recent press briefing, claiming they were responsible for the attack on the Kakhovka dam.
“It was a deliberate act of sabotage by the Kyiv regime. All relevant Russian organs are conducting investigations. So, for the time being, I will only discuss a political assessment based on all of the facts that we have.”
“Undoubtedly, the intention was for them to destroy the entire civilian infrastructure of multiple cities, which is classified as a terrorist act,” she alleges.
Zakharova conveniently overlooks the fact that such an act is in no way beneficial to Ukraine. Even if Ukraine had targeted the dam for defense purposes, the resulting devastation would impose severe economic and ecological costs for decades to come.
Furthermore, since the start of the full-scale war, Ukraine has consistently prioritized the safety and well-being of its own citizens, including those in occupied territories. Simply put, the logic of putting its citizens in danger for territorial gains does not add up. Instead of engaging in offensive operations, Ukraine has shifted its focus to rescue and humanitarian missions, demonstrating its commitment to saving lives rather than destroying them.
Artificially Raised Water Levels:
Zakharova argues that the water level in the reservoir was artificially raised by the ‘Kyiv regime’, citing the French Geological Portal as a trusted source even for the West.
“This event was an intended sabotage, terrorism, and extremism operation that had been planned long before, because the water level was artificially raised from 14 to 17.5 m as reported by the French Geological Portal, a monitoring system trusted by the West.”
“The Kyiv regime also directed that additional water be placed in the reservoir, which has a higher level than the river. Even ten hours after the dam collapsed, the water storage level did not fall, but rather increased.”
However Zakharova has again used “mirroring the blame” here with Ukraine earlier reporting Russia had in fact raised the water level to a record 17.5 meters and left the gates closed, before destroying the hydroelectric power station. Why? This was done on purpose to create maximum damage, which they believed would prevent the Ukrainian army from launching a counteroffensive in the area.
Test Strikes:
Zakharova alleges how the AFU previously conducted a test strike using US weapons, HIMARS, to assess the impact such strikes would have on the water level of the reservoir. Zakharova addresses the US in a theatrical display of shock and anger:
“Did you know about this? Did you know how the AFU were using weapons paid for by American taxpayers for terrorist attacks on citizen infrastructure? Of course you knew. It has caused an ecological disaster, flooding, and numerous cities have suffered irreversible damage to agriculture or ecosystems in the area.
She nexts speaks about how the water level could now be jeopardized, warning that the ZNPP could face problems at any given moment.
“I understand that the level of education in the United States is so low but we must remember that this is an atomic electric station; if it fails in a flash, it will affect all of us.”
The International Call for Punishment:
“The international community must punish Ukraine for this crime, as well as all those who have supported Kyiv for years. They are only capable of annihilation. This is all Kyiv has been taught for all these years on US money.”
Zakharova’s call to punish Ukraine and those countries who support it, with Russian propaganda portraying the collective West as ‘evil’. She tells how Ukraine, on US money, has turned into an anti-humanity regime.
However, the situation is stark: despite constant shelling, Ukrainians are tirelessly evacuating citizens from the devastating floods, while the Russian army shows no sign of evacuation efforts as they retreat. International support for Ukraine is driven by principles of sovereignty and human rights, rather than a malicious agenda.
As Russia’s global influence diminishes, it is noteworthy that their call for punishment was supported solely by the Syrian regime. This regime is accused of heinous crimes, such as using chemical weapons on its own citizens and committing genocide.
Population Reduction Conspiracy:
She tells how a large number of Ukrainian soldiers will die due to the ‘West’s requirements’ for investment on its military spending in Ukraine, referring to Ukraine’s allies, such as the US as the Ukraine’s ‘curator’ as she so often refers to. Speaking of Ukraine as an ‘evil monster’, she alleges that one day “Ukraine will turn around and ‘bite’ their master with all the weapons they have been given”.
“The number of deaths is not a big deal for the West,” misleads Zakharov. She alleges how the US demands their dues be paid (for the weapons provided) and so Ukraine has no choice but to go forwards with the counteroffensive, alleges Zakharova. “We’ve already heard that Ukraine is prepared to fight to the death.”
Furthermore, Zakharova goes on to cite a German political scientist to falsify information about the condition of Ukraine’s military personnel, “The problem isn’t the weapons because Ukraine is receiving more and more of them, but they are running out of people”.
“The West has never tried to hide the fact that one of their main tasks is to shrink the population. They’ve done it in various ways already, and they’ve finally got to this region of the world,” she adds.
These statements lack credibility as they disregard the available evidence. After mobilization, Ukraine’s military force is significantly larger than the Russian forces involved in the war, with Ukraine’s estimated active personnel reported to be around 700,000 and a reserve of 1 million.
Moreover, reports indicate that the number of deaths resulting from the fighting is considerably lower for Ukraine, with Ukrainian losses accounting for approximately one-third of Russia’s reported losses. This viewpoint has even been acknowledged by individuals such as Igor Strelkov, who recently conceded that even if Russia successfully repels Ukrainian counterattacks, launching an offensive would be infeasible due to Ukraine’s overwhelming numerical advantage in terms of fighting forces.
