(TWN)-In Russian-controlled Ukraine, thousands of people are being evacuated from areas downstream of a large dam that has fallen.

Early on Tuesday, Nova Kakhovka, a significant dam and hydroelectric power facility in the southern Kherson region of the Russian-occupied Ukraine, collapsed. Unknown forces caused the dam in Ukraine to burst, causing a significant new humanitarian disaster and a surge in floodwaters while raising concerns about the long-term sustainability and safety of a nearby nuclear power station. 

When and how the dam in Russian-controlled territory burst is still a mystery, but Ukraine, NATO, and the EU have already placed the blame there after Ukrainian officials issued a warning last year that Russian forces might be planning to destroy the dam and use it as a "false flag" operation to accuse Kyiv of being responsible. High-ranking Western officials, notably German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, supported Ukraine, stating that the demolition of the dam "fits with the way in which [Russian President Vladimir] Putin wages this war."

The breach is reportedly the "most significant incident of damage to civilian infrastructure" since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to the head of the UN's relief efforts.The catastrophe has caused widespread evacuations, flooding, and worries about extensive destruction. The Nova Kakhovka Zoo reports that 300 animals perished as a result of the collapse on Tuesday.According to a Ukrainian military official, Russian soldiers were seen being swept up in floodwaters and running away from the east side of the Dnipro River when the bridge collapsed. The officer claimed that numerous Russian troops were killed or hurt during the commotion. 

This, it stated, will be followed by a time during which the water level is anticipated to drop significantly in four to five days.The largest nuclear power plant in Europe, Zaporizhzhia, is under scrutiny because it uses reservoir water for cooling.The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) claims that the situation there is under control and that there is "no immediate nuclear safety risk" for the plant.

A breach in the dam is visible in video footage as a  floodwater bursts through.
According to Deputy Prosecutor General Viktoriya Lytvynova, 40,000 people must be evacuated, including 17,000 in areas under Ukrainian control west of the Dnipro River and 25,000 in areas under Russian control east.

Ihor Klymenko, the interior minister of Ukraine, claimed on Ukrainian television that 24 communities had been inundated and that roughly 1,000 people had so far been evacuated.

Hoping everything goes fine and the disputes will be solved soon.