Due to the explosion of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station, Ukraine has already lost 6.5 cubic kilometers of water, said Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Ruslan Strelets during a visit to the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions, the press service of the government reported..

“This is the biggest environmental disaster since Chernobyl.. Every second, about 40 thousand cubic meters of water flows out of the Kakhovka reservoir. Ukraine has already lost 6.5 cubic kilometers. We are negotiating with the OSCE and UNEP on the work of their experts. We need a clear understanding of how this act of desperation by the Russians will change the environment, and how we can restore nature where possible,” the minister stressed..

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According to Strelts, representatives of the State Agency for Water Resources of Ukraine and the State Ecological Inspectorate of Ukraine are involved 24/7 in monitoring the state of the environment in the affected areas.. Under shelling, environmental inspectors continue to work on fixing and calculating environmental damage.

“So far, there is an excess of the concentration of oil products in water several times, but the downward trend continues,” he added..

As reported, the drainage of the Kakhovka reservoir will affect 11 reserves.

According to analysts, it will take at least 5-10 years to restore the dam and the irrigation system, and this will be possible only after the complete liberation of Ukraine from the invaders..

The consequences of the dam explosion will significantly affect our environment. Some areas will be temporarily flooded, and those areas that were recently covered with water will be drained.. A sharp drop in the water level in the Kakhovka reservoir poses a threat to aquatic and coastal ecosystems due to the shallowing of the reservoir, the drainage of backwaters, shallow straits and bays, told ZN. UA Bogdan Kuchenko, ecodia conservation specialist.