The Russian occupiers used strategic facilities and the civilian population for their cover.

The Kakhovskaya HPP in the Kherson region is also a strategic facility. If the occupiers cause damage to the hydroelectric power station, a large number of settlements may be flooded.

This was announced by the deputy of the Kherson Regional Council Sergey Khlan.

According to him, the Russians set up checkpoints on the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station roadway. They artificially made a traffic jam from civilian cars, detaining cars on purpose and overturning military equipment at that time.

"The Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant is also a strategic facility. If the invaders damage the Hydroelectric Power Plant, this will lead to the flooding of a large number of settlements. Together with the people, they will simply go under water. Such strategic facilities should be under international protection," said Hlan.

He noted that Russian troops deliberately create their bases at strategic facilities where the Armed Forces of Ukraine will not destroy them. In particular, they dig in the unique forests of the Kherson region, artificially planted to preserve the region's ecosystem. Instead, the invaders equip their dugouts, dig trenches, realizing that the Armed Forces of Ukraine will not shoot there so as not to destroy these forests.

On May 20, the Center for Journalistic Investigations, citing residents of Nova Kakhovka, reported that large volumes of water were being dumped at the Kakhovka HPP, which flooded Nova Kakhovka. According to the publication, hydroelectric power plants are forced to dump water from the Kakhovka reservoir in large volumes, since two hydroelectric units are not working, which cannot be repaired due to the occupation. As a result, the embankment and the city park named after Stepan Faldzinsky in Nova Kakhovka have already been flooded. The surrounding villages and Kherson are under threat.

As reported, at the end of May, water from the hydroelectric power station partially flooded Nova Kakhovka, but the occupiers do not allow repairs to be carried out.