Russians damage Kurakhove Reservoir dam in Donetsk Oblast

The damage on 11 November caused water levels to rise by 1.2 meters in Velykonovosilkivska Hromada, potentially affecting settlements along the Vovcha River in two oblasts.

Nov 12, 2024 - 14:00

Russians damage Kurakhove Reservoir dam in Donetsk Oblast

russians damage kurakhove reservoir dam donetsk oblast city situated southern bank

Russian forces damaged the dam at Kurakhivske Reservoir in Donetsk Oblast on 11 November, causing water levels to rise in nearby settlements, Ukrainian officials reported.

The Kurakhivske Reservoir, located on the Vovcha River, was created to cool the Kurakhove Thermal Power Plant. The damaged hydroelectric facility is situated near the village of Stari Terny. Donetsk’s Kurakhove is among Russia’s main targets of the months-long massive offensive operations. Russia employs frontal assaults and scorched earth tactics, sacrificing its soldiers’ lives en masse while degrading infrastructure near targeted assault areas to render them indefensible and force Ukrainian retreats.

According to Suspilne Donbas, Kurakhove City Military Administration Head Roman Padun confirmed that water was flowing near the Ternivska Dam, but inspection of the damage was impossible due to constant Russian shelling.

“We know that water is flowing through villages located near the Ternivska dam. We cannot confirm the nature of the damage or its criticality. We cannot inspect the dam due to constant shelling at present,” Padun told Suspilne.

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Donetsk Oblast Military Administration Head Vadym Filashkin confirmed the dam’s destruction on Facebook, warning that the Russian strike “potentially threatens residents of settlements along the Vovcha River in both Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts.” On 11 November as of 16:00 local time, the water level in Velykonovosilkivska Hromada had risen by 1.2 meters, though no housing floods were reported, the oblast chief stated.

Velykonovosilkivska Settlement Military Administration Head Serhii Yashchenko told Suspilne Donbas that as of 17:30, residents faced no immediate threats, with no flooding of detached houses reported. He noted that the water was closest to the villages of Andriivka, Kostiantynopil, and Oleksiivka.

ISW noted that Ukrainian emergency services sources, as reported by a Ukrainian Telegram channel, stated that the Ternivska Dam was destroyed following shelling of Kurakhove on the morning of 11 November. Another Ukrainian Telegram channel reported that while roads near the dam remained usable, the movement of armored vehicles on dirt roads was limited.

According to ISW, Russian military bloggers and opposition outlets noted that some photos circulating online and claimed to show the Ternivska Dam damage actually depicted the Kozarovytska Dam, which Ukrainian forces destroyed in February 2022 to prevent Russian advances near Kyiv.

Bombing dams is considered a war crime under international law, specifically under the 1977 Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions. Article 56 of Protocol I explicitly prohibits attacks on dams, dikes, and nuclear power stations if such attacks may cause the release of dangerous forces (such as floodwaters or radiation) and result in severe civilian losses.

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