Explosions at the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant near Kherson, southern Ukraine released floodwaters on Tuesday, as both Moscow and Kyiv accused each other of wrecking havoc on the dam.
The collapse of the dam wall has resulted in a deluge of water from the damaged facility, causing flooding in several villages.
Ukrainian authorities have ordered the evacuation of thousands of residents downstream as a precautionary measure.
Ukraine accused Russian forces of blasting the dam and hydroelectric power station, while Russian officials blamed Ukrainian military strikes in the contested area.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Twitter said the destruction of the dam "confirms for the whole world that they (Russian forces) must be expelled from every corner of Ukrainian land."
"All services are working. I have convened the National Security and Defense Council," he said.
Energoatom, Ukraine's nuclear operator, expressed concerns about the situation, stating that the destruction of the dam "could have negative consequences" for the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest in Europe. However, they emphasized that the current situation is still under control.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the United Nations posted on Twitter that its experts are closely monitoring the situation at the plant and have determined that there is "no immediate nuclear safety risk" at the facility.
