Flooding was ‘just the beginning’: Kakhovka dam disaster, two years on

Ukraine’s Kakhovka Dam was destroyed exactly two years ago on Friday, representing the most significant environmental disaster so far resulting from Russia’s ongoing invasion. Its collapse directly impacted over 100,000 people and submerged more than 620 square kilometres under water.

In addition to causing widespread displacement, the disaster created a humanitarian and ecological crisis – threatening disease outbreaks and prompting the collapse of ecosystems. The loss and damage from this event is estimated to be $14 billion. 

UN News’ Evgeniya Kleshcheva sat down this week with Roman Shakhmatenko, a team leader with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine, to discuss the “far-reaching” consequences of the collapse.