The collapse of the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine is swiftly evolving into a far-reaching environmental catastrophe affecting drinking water, food supplies, and ecosystems that reach into the Black Sea. Experts warn that the long-term consequences will be generational.
Ukrainian Dam Collapse Seen As Long-Term Ecological Catastrophe
The colors of an oil slick stand in stark contrast to the muddy floodwaters in a neighborhood in Kherson on June 10.
Dead fish are seen on the drained bottom of the Nova Kakhovka reservoir.
For every flooded home, there are fields of newly planted grains, fruits, and vegetables whose irrigation canals are now drying out.
Volunteers unload water, food, and other goods donated for residents of flooded areas in Kherson on June 11.
The breaching of the Kakhovka dam submerged entire towns, killing thousands of animals and laying waste to communities, nature reserves, and farmland.
The receding floodwaters will also leave behind mines that were displaced by the flooding, making areas inhospitable until they are cleared.
A dog drinks water on a flooded road in the settlement of Korsunka. Southern Ukraine was an arid plain until the damming of the Dnieper River 70 years ago. The Kakhovka dam was the last of six dams on the river.
A hive of bees is seen in the floodwaters in the village of Sadove. Experts have warned that it will take a decade for the flora and fauna populations to return and adjust to the new reality.
Local residents in Zaporizhzhya clean a city beach on June 10 following the drop in the water level of the Dnieper River.
Oil slicks are seen in this aerial photo of the Dnieper River near Kherson on June 10. In addition to the oil, runoff chemicals and pesticides carried by the flooding also pose a threat to the Black Sea ecosystem.