A large Soviet-era dam in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region was blown up by Russian forces early on Tuesday, threatening to flood vast areas along the Dnieper River, according to Ukrainian officials.
'Outrageous act of Russian barbarity'
The Polish foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that it "unconditionally condemns the blowing up of the dam spanning the Dnipro river in Nova Kakhovka - yet another outrageous act of Russian barbarity on Ukraine’s occupied territories, a grave violation of basic norms of humanitarian and environmental protection law, and an apparent war crime."
The Polish foreign ministry added that "this act poses a direct threat to the lives of civilians living along the Dnipro banks downstream from the dam and to the operation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, as well as bringing the prospect of an environmental disaster with unprecedented consequences on a regional scale, which will reverberate across Europe."
The attack "intensifies material losses and will result in further forced displacements of the local population," the Polish foreign ministry said in its statement.
'Poland will make every effort to hold Russia accountable'
It added that Poland "will make every effort to hold Russia accountable before the international community and to punish the perpetrators of this criminal act, and will insist on it through relevant international institutional and legal mechanisms, including humanitarian and environmental ones."
The statement also said that "in response to this act, it is necessary to impose further severe sanctions on the Russian Federation."
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.
Tuesday is day 468 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, gov.pl
