…Calls on EU, G7 countries to impose devastating sanctions on Russia
From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Ukrainian Government, has expressed concern over the attack on Kakhovka Dam by Russian forces.
This was even as Ukraine called on the European Union and the G7 member states to impose new devastating sanctions on Russia, including its missile industry and atomic energy sphere.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, in a statement dated June 6, 2023, and made available to Daily Sun by the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in the early hours of June 6, 2023, Russian forces blew up the Kakhovka dam in the occupied territory in the south of Ukraine.
Kuleba also said the massive concrete structure held 18.3 cubic kilometers of water and the civilian population and the environment downstream of the Dnipro River were already suffering tremendous damage as a result of floods.
Kuleba said: “President Zelenskyy immediately convened the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine. Ukrainian law enforcement and emergency services are working hard to mitigate the consequences and save lives.
“Ukraine calls an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council and brings the issue of the Russian terrorist act to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors. We will also cooperate with the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism and other international mechanisms to mitigate consequences and bring Russia to account.
“In light of developments on the battlefield, Russia’s deliberate and long-planned terrorist act turned the man-made flood into a weapon.
“The harm to the environment is of particular concern.”
Kuleba further said the entire ecosystems were facing long-term and irreversible harm because of the floods.
Animals in the Nova Kakhovka zoo, Kuleba added, have already died in the rising water, saying that “this is only the beginning of harm for fauna in the south of Ukraine, along the Dnipro river, and in the Black Sea.”
According to Kuleba, “We are witnessing ecocide on a regional, not just Ukrainian, scale.
“We call on all governments and international organizations to condemn Russia’s actions and support President Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula. Its items, “Prevention of Ecocide,” “Nuclear Safety,” and “Energy Safety,” are all highly relevant right now.
“The Kakhovka disaster is yet another proof that Russia is a terrorist state. Every country, parliament, and international organization should recognize Russia as such — without delay.
“We also call on the EU and G7 member states to impose new devastating sanctions on Russia, including its missile industry and atomic energy sphere.
“Russia will be held accountable for the destruction of the Kakhovka dam and other crimes.”
