(KYIV, UKRAINE) – Russian forces have destroyed a dam near Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region, creating what Ukrainian officials describe as a serious risk of humanitarian and ecological catastrophe.
Ukraine’s Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, confirmed the destruction of the hydraulic structure. He said the incident poses a large scale threat to residential communities, infrastructure and the environment. The Russian side published footage showing the demolition of the facility.
According to Lubinets, the destruction of the dam could cause flooding in nearby populated areas, damage or disable critical infrastructure, destroy bridges and contaminate water sources and soil.
He stated that under international humanitarian law hydraulic structures are granted special protection and that their deliberate destruction constitutes a serious violation of the Geneva Conventions. Lubinets compared the incident to the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant, which caused widespread flooding and environmental damage in 2023.
“Is this not enough for the world community to face the truth? Can the aggressor do anything? We remember well what consequences the blowing up of the Kakhovka HPP led to,” Lubinets wrote on his Facebook page.
He warned that impunity for such actions encourages further attacks on civilian infrastructure.
The Ombudsman said he has sent official letters to the United Nations requesting the formal registration of another war crime attributed to the Russian Federation. Ukraine is seeking a clear legal assessment of the incident and increased international pressure on the Kremlin to prevent further environmental harm.
Lubinets stressed that the international community must not remain silent, arguing that accountability is necessary for the destruction of ecosystems and for the threat posed to thousands of civilians.
Earlier on Thursday, Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that Russian forces had also struck Kostiantynivka with phosphorus munitions.
