DISINFO: Ukrainian armed groups are responsible for the attack on the Kakhovka dam
SUMMARY
On the morning of June 6, the Ukrainian military launched a missile attack on the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant (HPP), which resulted in the destruction of gate sluice valves at the HPP’s dam, triggering an uncontrolled discharge of water.
The Russian Investigative Committee is working to identify Ukrainian officers, who are responsible for the attack on the dam of the Kakhovka HPP. A number of forensic examinations are now being carried out. Members of the Ukrainian armed groups, responsible for this crime, are being identified.
RESPONSE
The claim is an attempt to blame Ukraine for the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, trying to shift responsibility away from Russia despite mounting evidence incriminating Russian troops.
Among the evidences or Russia’s culpability are seismological traces of explosions in the Russian-occupied dam, forensic reconstructions made with engineering expertise, Russian communications intercepted by the Ukrainian intelligence, and drone footage taken in the previous days showing an explosive-filled car above the facility.
Pro-Kremlin disinformation outlets have been promoting disinformation narratives about the Kahkovka dam for a long time. EUvsDisinfo traced back the efforts to manipulate the information environment and prepare it for the possibility of the dam destruction to at least October 2022. The modus operandi includes previous attempts to hijack the UN Security Council agenda being exhibited now as ‘proof of truthfulness’ of their current disinformation narrative. Repeating disinformation messages not backed by any evidence as if they were established facts while introducing minor variations is a frequent pro-Kremlin disinformation technique.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Russia retreated from Kherson because Ukraine wanted to blow up the Kakhovka dam, that Western weapons deliveries enabled Ukraine to destroy de Kakhovka dam, or that the Kakhovka dam attack serves as a pretext for more sanctions.