A strike by Ukraine’s Armed Forces damaged the dam of the Belgorod Reservoir on the Seversky Donets River, Belgorod region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said Saturday on Telegram.
He said Ukrainian forces could “try again and destroy the dam.” “If that happens, there will be a risk of flooding of the river’s floodplain on the Kharkiv region side and several streets in our communities, where about 1,000 people live,” Gladkov added.
The governor said authorities have begun offering evacuations to temporary accommodation centers in Belgorod for residents who could face flooding and have no other options for temporary housing.
The warning applies to the village of Bezlyudovka, the village of Novaya Tavolzhanka, and the Titovka neighborhood in Shebekino.
According to the Telegram channel MNS, several buildings housing technical equipment, the hoisting mechanisms of one of the spillway gates, and the dam crest were damaged. Two people were injured — a civilian and a Rosgvardiya employee - both with multiple shrapnel wounds.
“After an initial inspection, it was established that the integrity of the Belgorod Reservoir dam was not compromised. There is no threat of flooding to nearby settlements,” the channel said.
The channel also claimed the strike was carried out with three HIMARS rockets. That has not been officially confirmed.
The dam is located near the border village of Grafovka in the Shebekinsky district of Russia’s Belgorod region.
