Flooding, environment, energy: Consequences of Ukraine dam destruction
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00:00 The Kukovka Dam in southern Ukraine lies some 30 kilometers east of Kherson.
00:05 It crosses Ukraine's mighty Dnieper River and held 18 cubic kilometers of water within
00:10 its 30-meter wall.
00:12 Its destruction spells out huge consequences for the wider region, starting with towns
00:17 downstream.
00:18 Water levels are set to continue to rise for the next three to ten days.
00:23 Thousands of wild animals have died and hundreds of thousands of residents remain trapped without
00:28 normal access to drinking water, with risk of contamination.
00:32 The breach is an ecological catastrophe with far-reaching consequences for the environment,
00:38 notably for the marine life that depends on the reservoir.
00:41 This video posted by a Ukrainian official claims to show stranded fish in the Dnieper
00:46 floodwaters.
00:47 In addition to the flooding, Kyiv says at least 150 tons of oil has been spilled into
00:52 the river, causing an estimated 50 million euros of damage.
00:58 Also at risk is Crimea's canal irrigation system.
01:01 The North Crimea Canal delivers water to Crimea from the Dnieper River and accounts for some
01:05 80 percent of Crimea's water.
01:08 The dam's destruction could wreck the system of canals, threatening 120,000 hectares of
01:13 crops which rely on irrigation.
01:17 Further upstream lies the Zaporizhia nuclear plant.
01:20 Water from the reservoir behind the Novokukovka Dam is needed for the plant's cooling systems.
01:25 The International Atomic Energy Agency says it's monitoring the situation, but that there
01:29 are no immediate safety risks.