Putin’s ‘dambuster revenge’ as fears grow that dam was destroyed

Russian troops may have deliberately damaged a dam that was formerly under their control as they fled from the city of Kherson. Satellite images have shown that sections of the Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro river could have been “deliberately destroyed” according to a satellite imaging company.Maxar Technologies have released pictures which appear to show damage to the northern part of the dam sluice gates at the hydroelectric power plant.It is unclear how the damage was caused at the dam, which holds back “millions of tonnes” of water.Moscow and Kyiv have consistently accused each other of trying to plot to damage the dam.Earlier this month Russia blamed Ukraine for damage to it caused by shelling, despite providing no evidence to back these claims up. Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday (Image: Getty Images )It does seem that the Nova Kakhovka Hydroelectric Dam was damaged by the Russians in their retreat. A massive question of how significant the damage actually is. Images from @Maxar. pic.twitter.com/h9DAhg97lZ- OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) November 11, 2022 A fortnight ago Moscow printed threats that it would mine the area and unleash a “grandiose water apocalypse” to stop Ukraine’s counter offensive.In response head of the Ukrainian presidential office Andriy Yermak accused Russia of resorting to scare tactics after its “nuclear blackmail” had failed.However if the Soviet era dam did burst it would cause major destruction to the city of Kherson as hundreds of thousands of people would be at risk of flooding.Other images have shown damage to several bridges following the retreat of Russian forces to the eastern bank of the Dnipro river.READ MORE: Putin’s warned Russian soldiers tipped to ‘stop following orders’Up river from Kherson city, damage has been inflicted on a critical hydroelectric dam at Nova Kakhovka in the Kherson region. Water said to be flowing out of three sluice gates at the dam. Damage is on northern end & unclear who caused it. https://t.co/tvs5RWA9br pic.twitter.com/mT2uXjBi7t- Glasnost Gone (@GlasnostGone) November 11, 2022 Maxar said in a statement: “Satellite images this morning… reveal significant new damage to several bridges and the Nova Kakhovka dam in the aftermath of the Russian retreat from Kherson across the Dnipro river.”The dam, which is 30 metres tall and 3.2 km long, was built in 1956 as part of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant.It holds an 18 km3 reservoir which is roughly equal to to the Great Salt Lake in the US state of Utah.The dam also supplies water to the strategically important Russian held Crimean peninsula, as well as the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.DON’T MISS: Belarus on brink as Ukraine volunteer fighters pose ‘biggest threat'[REVEAL] Remainer claims she’s found loophole so she can legally stay in Europe [INSIGHT] Flags of freedom fly again in Kherson after Russian troops retreat [SPOTLIGHT] President Zelensky has previously said that by blowing up the dam Russia would be destroying the water supply to Crimea and therefore indicating that they could not hold onto the peninsula.