Claim
The Russians destroyed a hydroelectric dam in Ukraine.
“यूक्रेन में स्थित बिजली बांध का अध्ययन करें। रूसियों ने इसे कैसे नष्ट किया”▶ Watch source segment
Rationale
The claim refers to the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam, destroyed on 6 June 2023 while under Russian control. Independent investigations — including a New York Times forensic analysis, seismic and satellite data, and international legal experts assisting Ukrainian prosecutors — concluded it was highly likely destroyed by explosives planted by Russian forces from inside the dam. Russia denies responsibility and blames Ukraine, and no international tribunal has issued a final attribution, so confidence is high but not absolute. As of the broadcast date, the weight of evidence supports the anchor's statement.
Evidence
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destruction_of_the_Kakhovka_Dam The Kakhovka hydroelectric dam in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine was destroyed on 6 June 2023; Ukrainian authorities and international experts attribute the breach to a blast set from inside the Russian-controlled structure. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://www.rferl.org/a/kakhovka-dam-new-york-times-russia-blew-it-up-evidence/32464308.html New York Times investigation found seismic data, witness accounts and structural evidence consistent with an explosive charge detonated in a passageway in the dam's base, pointing to Russia, which controlled the dam. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/kakhovka-dam-ukraine-russia-destroyed-rcna87852 Wire/network reporting: infrared satellite detection of an explosion before collapse; a team of international legal experts assisting Ukraine's prosecutors found it 'highly likely' Russian-planted explosives caused the collapse. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://truth-hounds.org/en/cases/new-report-claims-that-the-destruction-of-kakhovka-dam-is-an-environmental-war-crime/ Independent investigation (Truth Hounds/Greenpeace) documenting the destruction as caused by Russian forces and assessing it as an environmental war crime. ✓ reachable · archived