DISINFO: Western weapon deliveries enabled Ukraine to destroy the Kakhovka dam
SUMMARY
The EU always immediately blames Russia for any wrongdoing, but it was in fact the uncontrolled pumping of Ukraine with Western weapons that enabled the Kyiv regime to destroy the Kakhovka dam.
RESPONSE
This is unsubstantiated allegation is a combination of two well-known pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives falsely claiming that 1) Western military support only prolongs the war and increases the suffering for Ukrainian civilians, and 2) Kyiv is to blame for the destruction of the Kakhovka dam.
The first disinformation narrative is part of a wider disinformation campaign to legitimise Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine by portraying the conflict as beneficial to Ukraine's leadership and its supporters in the West.
This claim is a gross manipulation of the fact that Russia's war of aggression is taking a heavy toll on Ukraine's economy and by killings thousands of people. It is obvious that Russia is trying to destroy Ukraine, its people, culture and economic foundation.
Individual NATO member countries, are sending weapons, ammunition and many types of light and heavy military equipment, including anti-tank and air defence systems, howitzers and drones to Ukraine to help it defend the integrity of its territories. All of this is making a difference on the battlefield every day, helping Ukraine to uphold its right of self-defence, which is enshrined in the United Nations Charter.
The second disinformation claim aims to shift the blame for the destruction of Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station and the resulting humanitarian and ecological catastrophe away from Russia. It also includes recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about alleged Ukrainian provocations involving a false flag attacks and dirty bombs.
The Nova Kakhovka dam was captured by Russia at the start of the invasion of Ukraine in February, and has been held by it ever since.
Scientific seismic surveillance data from a Norwegian station in neighbouring Romania show seismic activity indicating a powerful explosion at the dam.
In October 2022, as Ukraine was in the midst of reclaiming large parts of occupied Kherson, Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged the west to warn Russia not to blow up the dam, warning that it would flood a large area of southern Ukraine. At the time, he claimed that Russian forces had planted explosives inside the dam.
Multiple Western leaders have condemned the destruction of the dam, pointing out to the brutality of Russia's war in Ukraine.
See related disinformation claims alleging that the Kakhovka dam attack is part pf Kyiv's political plan; and that the Kakhovka dam attack was a pretext for more sanctions.