Flooding near Nova Kakhovka
Foto:Russian Investigative Committee / ITAR-TASS / IMAGO
Moscow’s spin doctors have long been yearning for an apocalyptic event of the kind that has now taken place with the breach of the Kakhovka Dam on Tuesday in Ukraine. The consequences of that event are symbolic of the only objective that Russia is still pursuing in this war: as much destruction as possible.
The reservoir contained 18 trillion liters of water, and when the dam broke, a catastrophic flood inundated parts of southern Ukraine, including the city of Kherson. Tens of thousands of people are now without drinking water. A number of desperate people were left to stand on their roofs and wait for rescuers who never came. Toxins are poisoning the environment and farming will be severely limited for the foreseeable future because the water used for irrigation came from the reservoir.
It is the realization of the destructive fantasies that rulers in Moscow have been unleashing on Ukraine since the beginning of their vile invasion. Initially, the Russian warmongers wanted to destroy the Ukrainian identity. Now, they intend to demolish the entire country. They are firing on Ukrainian cities using drones and ballistic missiles and are intentionally killing civilians.
These vengeful fever dreams are also reflected in what Russia’s propagandists keep saying about Ukraine. In Russian state television, a so-called expert already said last year that his country’s victory depended on destroying as much Ukrainian infrastructure as rapidly as possible, including rail lines, power stations, bridges – and dams. Another fantasized about explosions in the Kyiv subway. The most powerful firebrand of them all, the television presenter Vladimir Solovyov, regularly calls for nuclear strikes on Kyiv. These aren’t the voices of isolated crazies. Crazy has become media mainstream in Russia.
The precise circumstances that led to the breach of the Kakhovka Dam still must be clarified. But no matter what the facts might turn out to be, there is absolutely no doubt as to who is ultimately responsible: Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is Putin who, with his criminal war, is leaving behind scorched, toxic and flooded earth.
The Russian occupiers were in control of the dam, they were responsible for it. Did they intentionally blow it up at the beginning of the Ukrainian counteroffensive? Did they plan to use water as a weapon?
There is a fair amount of evidence indicating that a version of this is what happened, though it is of doubtful military practicality and isn’t likely to disrupt the Ukrainian counteroffensive. Or, as a different theory would have it, were they criminally negligent in their management of the dam, failing to regulate the amount of water in the reservoir which ultimately led to its breach?
The first would be a horrific war crime, the second a calamitous degree of incompetence – both of which have been put on abundant display by the Russian army since February 2022. It cannot, of course, be completely excluded that Ukrainians blew up the dam from afar as Moscow is claiming, but there is no evidence for that version of events and most experts believe it is unlikely. It also isn’t particularly logical: What reasons would they have for destroying their own country? They are trying to liberate it from the Russians.
Recent events in the war itself likewise represent a turning point. Shortly before the destruction of the dam, the Ukrainians launched the counteroffensive on which so much depends. In the eastern part of the country, the Ukrainians have advanced on numerous Russian positions.
If they are to be successful, they now need Western support more than ever before. The next several weeks are crucial. They will show whether Ukraine is able to expel the invading army. This war cannot be allowed to evolve into a stalemate. For as long as Putin continues his aggression, the specter of additional atrocities looms large. And the best way to shorten this war is to strengthen the Ukrainian military.
The good thing is that Germany and its Western partners have finally understood that preventing a Ukrainian loss isn’t enough. Kyiv must be helped to victory.
A few days ago, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz held what was his most powerful and authentic speech on Ukraine to date. Facing down a crowd chanting "warmonger" at him, Scholz raised his voice and went after the protesters: "Putin wants to destroy Ukraine," he yelled. "That is murder!” He left no doubt that a Russia capable of such actions represents a threat to peace and freedom in Europe.
That is why Berlin is supplying Ukraine with air defense systems, tanks and munitions, and is spending billions of euros to do so. It is an effort that protects Germany as well. As such, the time has come for the government to overcome its recent doubts and, as Defense Minister Boris Pistorius recently announced, examine the possibility of supporting the delivery of Western warplanes to Ukraine.
The more successful the counteroffensive is, the greater are the hopes that this war will come to an end.