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19
January
2023

Enemy shelling of Kakhovka HPP dam cause mass death of fish, case opened

KYIV. Jan 19 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Shelling of the dam of Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP) by the Russian occupation forces caused mass death of fish, a criminal case launched, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine (PGO) has said.

"The fact of the mass death of fish in the lower pool of the Dnieper River due to a critical drop in water level received a public outcry in the media," it said on the Telegram channel on Thursday.

According to law enforcement officers, as a result of the shelling by the Russian military of the dam of Kakhovska HPP, its shutter mechanism was damaged, the PGO said.

"This affected the water level in the Kakhovka reservoir and the Dnieper River, which continues to steadily decline. The ecological situation in the reservoir leads to the death of aquatic biological resources, which may lead to a disruption of spawning in the spring of 2023," it said.

Prosecutors of the Specialized Ecological Prosecutor’s Office of Zaporizhia Regional Prosecutor’s Office initiated criminal proceedings on the fact of violating the laws and customs of war (Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

Currently, priority investigative actions are underway to establish the amount of damage caused to the environment.

Pre-trial investigation is conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine.