Today, Russian terrorists blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station. According to experts, this is not only an environmental and humanitarian catastrophe, but also a crime against the food security of the world.. Analysts of the EastFruit publication told what threatens to undermine the dam and what could be the consequences for horticulture and vegetable growing in the south of Ukraine.

The experts emphasized that it was the Kakhovka reservoir that was the heart of one of the largest irrigation systems in Europe..

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“It was the Kakhovka reservoir that was the heart of one of the largest irrigation systems in Europe. And it was the southern regions of Ukraine that provided wheat, corn, sunflower and sunflower oil, soybeans and soybean meal to the countries of the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe. Also, the water from this irrigation system made it possible to grow up to 80% of all vegetables in Ukraine and a significant percentage of fruits and grapes.. Almost all heat-loving fruits of Ukraine were grown on the basis of irrigation from the Kakhovka reservoir,” they explained..

According to analysts, the main capacities of summer greenhouses, which provide the population of Ukraine and Moldova with affordable tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers and peppers, were also located along the branches of the Kakhovka irrigation system..

“Today, without irrigation, it is impossible to grow almost any agricultural product in this region, especially fruits and vegetables.. The fact is that annually about 400 mm of precipitation falls here on average, and most of them in the winter period, that is, outside the growing season.. Such a meager amount of precipitation is typical for deserts, and the undermining of the dam of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station actually turns the south of the country into a desert, ”the message says..

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Analysts emphasized that this terrorist act guarantees the transformation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea into a desert not only unsuitable for agriculture, but also an unsuitable place for people to live in principle since the occupation..

“The fact is that without water from the Dnieper, which now the peninsula is guaranteed not to receive, at least in the next 10 years, there is a gradual penetration of sea water into aquifers.. At the moment, in many cities of the Crimea, wells with a depth of 800 meters or more, used to supply the population with water, already have an excessive level of salt content.. This water continues to be supplied to the population, although it is actually unsuitable for drinking and even for household needs - in particular, household appliances are already massively out of order.. Similarly, such water is completely unsuitable for irrigating the lands of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.. "

Thus, 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..

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“At the same time, 5 years is an optimistic scenario that will be very difficult to implement in practice even if there are billions of dollars needed to restore the system,” they emphasized..

Experts noted that now for Ukrainian farmers it will be especially relevant to develop technologies for growing and processing vegetables, such as onions, carrots, lettuces, green crops, in the central regions of Ukraine, where there is access to water and irrigation systems.

“Otherwise, in the coming years, we will have to forget not only about the export of vegetables, but also about the possibility of self-sufficiency in vegetable products for the population of Ukraine even in the summer,” the analysts concluded..

Recall that on the night of June 6, the Russian military blew up a dam at the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station. According to local residents, there was only one explosion, but after it the structures began to collapse one after another.. Cities and villages down the Dnieper are threatened with flooding. Authorities of Kherson OVA announced an urgent evacuation.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it was aware of reports of the explosion of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station. They say agency experts at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant are closely monitoring the situation.. The IAEA assures that there is no immediate threat to nuclear safety at the station.