There is no threat to shipping in southern Ukraine due to explosion of Kakhovka HPP

The blowing up of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant dam has caused no direct threat to shipping in the ports of the Dunai region and Great Odesa, but the situation may change, the Sea Ports Authority of Ukraine stated.

Source: European Business Association 

Quote: "There is currently no direct threat to shipping in the ports of the Danube region and ‘Big Odesa’ due to the undermining of the dam of the Kakhovska Hydroelectric Power Plant. However, the full-scale efforts to mitigate the consequences of the accident are hindered by shelling carried out by Russian forces, and the outlook for the situation may change."

Details: It is reported that the operational situation is monitored by a newly created headquarters with the participation of the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (SPAU) and local authorities. SPAU’s main task is to control what is happening in the ports' waters, in particular, to ensure the safety of the shipping industry and prevent environmental problems of man-made origin.

The European Business Association has also noted that Russia continues to block the work of major ports and impede Ukraine's obligations under the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

At the same time, the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority has added that it was able to increase cargo handling volumes in the ports of the Dunai region by commissioning new berths, developing additional berths and optimising the operation of existing cargo flows. Currently, record volumes of cargo transshipment are being recorded – more than 11.5 million tonnes.

The Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority plans to build new storage facilities and reconstruct the M-15 motorway, increase the number of ship guides (pilots), storage points and anchorages in the region. It is noted that all this should help speed up the movement of ships and improve the efficiency of cargo shipment.

Read more: Everything you need to know about the Kakhovskaya HPP disaster

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Background: 

• On the night of 5-6 June 2023, the Russian occupiers blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, destroying the turbine hall and dam, and the plant cannot be restored. The drainina of the Kakhovka reservoir threatens the safety of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
• The explosion of the Kakhovka HPP caused an environmental disaster. Water from the reservoir began to flood towns and villages, and evacuations began. The explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station dam caused problems with the water supply in Kryvyi Rih, Marhanets and Nikopol.

• Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that the disaster at the Kakhovka HPP created by the Russians would not stop Ukraine from liberating its own territory and would not increase the chances of the occupiers staying on this land.
• Zelenskyy said he was shocked by the reaction of the UN and the Red Cross to the Russian occupiers' blowing up of the Kakhovka HPP. He added that international organisations such as the Red Cross must immediately join the rescue of people from flooded towns and villages, particularly in the temporarily occupied territory, where Ukrainian military and rescue workers cannot currently reach.

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