On Tuesday, Russian officials warned that the destruction of the Kakhovka dam could potentially trigger problems for the canal providing water to Crimea, an issue that has remained a geopolitical point of tension between Moscow and Kyiv. The canal known as the Northern Crimean Canal, spans for nearly 250 miles from the reservoir situated above the dam down to Crimea, a Black Sea peninsula that Russia illegally annexed in 2014. For years, the North Crimean Canal had been supplying water to Crimea; however, after Russia annexed it, Ukraine blocked the water flow, which Russia later restored after invading and occupying the territory surrounding the canal.
On Tuesday, Dmitry S. Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesperson briefed that the water level within the reservoir was decreasing as a result of the dam’s destruction, decreasing the canal’s supply. While only a small portion of the canal’s water supply is utilized for drinking purposes, the majority of it is used for farming activities within Crimea.
The Kremlin-installed Crimean leader, Sergei Aksyonov, cautioned that the canal’s water risks becoming shallow in a Tuesday statement. He wrote on the messaging app Telegram that around 40 million cubic meters of water remained in the canal, and efforts were being undertaken to minimize losses. Meanwhile, he also stated that the reservoirs in Crimea were 80% full, clarifying that there was enough drinking water for the peninsula’s residents. Mr. Aksyonov expects the situation to become clearer in the coming days and stated that possible risks would be assessed accordingly.