Nebenzya: Russia will convene a meeting of the UN Security Council due to the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station

Russia will convene a meeting of the UN Security Council in connection with the destruction of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station. This was announced by the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN Vasily Nebenzya.

“We requested [заседание СБ ООН]. Urgent, but I can’t say the exact time,” he said (quote according to TASS).

Nebenzya added that Kyiv’s accusations about Moscow’s involvement in the destruction of the hydroelectric power station are contrary to common sense. “Could we have sabotaged this station and dam when the flooding went into the territories under Russian control?” the diplomat asked rhetorically.

Earlier today, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova remindedthat Russia warned UN Secretary General António Guterres about Ukraine’s plans to destroy the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station in the fall of 2022.

At the end of October last year, Nebenzia announced that Russia had circulated a letter to the UN Security Council urging Kiev to prevent the destruction of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric dam by Kiev. In it, he noted that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are specifically aiming at the Kakhovka dam. In the event of its destruction, thousands of civilians could die, Nebenzya reported at the time.

Kakhovskaya HPP was shelled at about 2 am on June 6. The upper part of the hydroelectric power station was destroyed, due to which an uncontrolled discharge of water began. In the administration of the Novokakhovsk city district toldthat the incident at the hydroelectric power station was caused by shelling, which led to the destruction of three spans under water pressure. Presumably, the blow was delivered by the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the Alder MLRS (RS-2), they noted there.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu earlier today laid responsible for the incident on Kyiv, saying that the Ukrainian side had blown up the constructions of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station. He noted that the incident would have severe and long-term consequences for the environment. The Kremlin said the incident was a deliberate act of sabotage “by order from Kyiv.”

On the fact of the incident, the Investigative Committee of Russia aroused criminal case of a terrorist attack. According to the mayor of Novaya Kakhovka, Vladimir Leontiev, the restoration of the station is impossible. Earlier today, he said that the water level in Nova Kakhovka had risen by more than 11 m. It is expected that the water will drop to normal levels within 72 hours, he specified.

Ukraine blames Russia for the destruction of the station. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said earlier today that the country will also convene an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council due to the situation around the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station.

Kakhovskaya HPP is located near the city of Novaya Kakhovka, Kherson region, is under the control of Russia. The station is the sixth (lower and last) stage of the cascade of Dnieper hydroelectric power stations. The Armed Forces of Ukraine have been shelling the city since the spring of 2022 against the backdrop of the start of a Russian special operation in Ukraine.