Article 15 of Part 4 of the Additional Protocol to the Geneva Convention, defines dams, and nuclear power plants as structures containing dangerous forces. Their destruction will lead to the release of these forces and, as a consequence, numerous casualties among the civilian population. Given this, these objects are protected even in case of military expediency of their attack.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is now experiencing devastating floods for the third time in its recent history as a result of the hydroelectric dam’s detonation. The first two times were during WW2. In August 1941, in anticipation of the attack from the Third Reich, the Red Army blew up the Dnipro HPP. In 1943, the retreating German army blew up the same dam.
Nevertheless, inside the USSR, the only truth was that “the Germans blew up the dam twice.”
In this article we will attempt to chronologically analyze the news surrounding the destruction of the Kakhovka dam. This will allow a clearer understanding of how Russia tried to absolve itself of guilt for yet another war crime.
October 2022
The Telegram channel of the 205th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation wrote that in connection with the offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, an order was given to retreat from the right bank of the Kherson Region. As part of this order, the channel provided information that this brigade was mining the dam of the Kakhovka HPP for detonation due to the “uncontrolled offense of the enemy.”
At the same time, the Russian service of the BBC, after consulting with experts, stated that it is impossible to destroy the dam with shelling. Moreover, the Antonov Bridge was shelled with HIMARS, but it stood. The destruction of the bridge did not take place, because the Ukrainian military, with high precision weapons, only carefully damaged the road surface. However, the Russians did blow up the bridge during the retreat from Kherson.
November 2022
The Telegram channel “Dikorossia” publishes a post telling how it is too early for Ukrainians to celebrate the retreat of the Russians because “the dam is still mined.”
December 2022
The mercenaries of PMC “Wagner” confirmes that the Kakhovka dam is mined and the Russian Federation will blow it up to “wash away the Khokhlov.”
June 6, 2023
03:01
The Telegram channel “Povernutye na Z voyne” reports that after the shelling by Ukrainians of the Kakhovka HPP, the dam began to collapse under water pressure.
03:06
Leontiev, the Gauleiter of Novaya Kakhovka, reports to the state media RIA news that there were no explosions and everything was quiet.
06:05
Russian propagandist Yuriy Podoliaka claims that the dam collapsed due to previous shelling, and on this day, it was shelled only after the breakthrough of the dam.
06:52
Special correspondent Olga Kurlayeva publishes a message now confirming to Leontiev the shelling of the Kakhovka HPP (backtracking his former comments at 03:06)
08:25
The Telegram channel “Voenkory Russkoy Vesny” publishes a video telling how the Armed Forces of Ukraine must retreat from the islands on the Dnipro. He tells how the AFU is under fire by russian MLRS and they are not going anywhere.
09:06
On the Telegram channel of Yehor’s Huzenko, “13-th“, he first published a video message telling how the dam should have been blown up long ago. He claims that if everything was well planned, and if the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation wouldn’t suffer from this detonation, it would be worth blowing up all the dams.
Furthermore, they publish a video of the Russian military happily watching the Ukrainian forces retreat from the islands on the Dnipro
09:43
The Telegram channel “AP WAGNER” publishes a post claiming that if all hydropower plants and nuclear power plants in Ukraine were blown up, “it wouldn’t be necessary to occupy it.” Also, in this publication, they are pleased with how it will cause more difficulties for Ukraine to advance on this territory.
Further
All as one, the Russian information field begins to tell that it was indeed a shell the Armed Forces of the Russian Armed Forces “Vilkha” (1, 2, 3, 4).
An crucial technique of absolving themselves of guilt was the widespread assertion that it was by no means benefical for Russia to blow up the Kakhovka HPP.
All aforementioned narratives, with the influence of russian propaganda’s rhetoric about “shelling by the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” had a huge impact on the world’s perception of these events. It lead to the public and media to hesitate about what actually happened. The heterogeneity of the information environment, the abrupt shift in Russia’s tone of messages, and the inconsistency of statements, plus the fact Russia has been controlling the HPP for more than a year, raise considerable doubts about the integrity of everyone of these versions.
Nevertheless, this terrorist attack is a transparent element of the escalation of the war and manipulation by the Russian Federation’s leadership.
