User:NewsAndEventsGuy/KD

In late October 2022, Ukrainian officials expressed concerns that Russian forces would attack the dam in a false flag operation. A few days later, Russia blamed three explosions at the power plant on Ukrainian-fired HIMARS missiles. Then on November 11, 2022, as Russian forces retreated from Kherson, they destroyed seven bridges in the region. . This included the roadway atop the Kakhovka dam and the adjacent railroad bridge. The blast damaged three sluice gates from which satellite imagery showed water actively flowing in what Ukranian Military Center described as "waterfalls". Shortly after the blast, the Russians opened a few more sluice gates, allowing the reservoir level to go down. At the time, various area officials speculated the Russians may have been trying to flood the downstream areas to complicate the advancement of Ukrainian forces. By February 2023, the reservoir had fallen to its lowest level in at least 30 years, but then the water steadily rose until by May 25, 2023, the sluice gates had been closed and water was overtopping the dam.