Ukrainian President Accuses Russian Forces of Shelling Rescue Workers Amid Dam Crisis

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has leveled grave allegations against Russian forces, accusing them of deliberately shelling Ukrainian emergency workers engaged in rescuing people from the devastating floodwaters caused by the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam. In a televised address on Wednesday, President Zelenskyy highlighted the stark contrast between the successful rescue operations in the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions, where over 2,000 individuals have been saved, and the Russian-occupied areas, where he claimed Moscow's forces abandoned people to the mercy of the flood. He expressed outrage, stating, "Evacuation continues. Under fire! Russian artillery continues to fire, no matter what. Savages." Despite the perilous circumstances, Ukrainian military and special services persist in their rescue efforts, braving the shelling.

Zelenskyy painted a distressing picture of the situation in the Russian-occupied parts of the Kherson region, describing the conditions as "absolutely catastrophic." He urgently appealed to international humanitarian organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, to deploy immediately and assist the abandoned residents now facing flooding after the dam's destruction. The President decried the abandonment of people in dire conditions without rescue, water, or basic provisions, stranded on rooftops in inundated communities. The exact number of lives at risk remains uncertain, with the President emphasizing the urgent need for rescue, drinking water, food, and medical care in the temporarily occupied territory.

Reporters on the ground reported hearing artillery booms as people hurriedly evacuated the affected areas with the assistance of rescue workers. Zelenskyy expressed disappointment over the slow response from the United Nations and the Red Cross to the dam disaster, proclaiming that every death was a verdict on the international architecture and organizations that seemed to have forgotten their duty to save lives. He asserted that the absence of international assistance in the disaster area signaled its nonexistence or ineptitude. The Ukrainian government's appeals for help and support remain in place as they confront this devastating crisis.