According to a Biden administration official, U.S. spy satellites detected an explosion in the Kakhovka dam prior to it collapsing. However, the cause and the culprit behind the destruction is still unknown to American analysts.
The heat signature detected by satellites with infrared sensors suggests a considerable explosion that led to the dam collapsing and flooding downstream. While American intelligence analysts suspect Russia was responsible, there is no solid evidence available at present.
Experts have hypothesized that a deliberate explosion inside the Kakhovka dam, which is controlled by Russia, was the most probable cause of its giveaway on Tuesday. Nonetheless, the possibility of structural failure or external attack cannot be ruled out entirely.
While the Biden administration official did not rule out the possibility of prior damage to the dam or extreme water pressure, the explosion-whether deliberate or accidental-remains the obvious trigger behind the collapse.
Experts suggest that a blast in an enclosed space with all of its energy applied against the structure around it would cause the most damage. Nevertheless, it would take several hundred pounds of explosives to breach the dam.
On the other hand, an external detonation by bombs or missiles would exert only a fraction of its force against the dam and would require significantly larger amounts of explosives to achieve a similar result.
