OK, I’ve got work to do! BEAVER is spotted arriving in Kherson after Russia destroys Ukrainian dam
- Video of a beaver in Kherson has been shared widely on Ukrainian social media
- Kyiv accused Russia of blowing up Kakhovka dam and releasing floodwater
As flood waters rise following the potentially ‘catastrophic’ destruction of a dam – which Ukraine has blamed on Russian forces – a beaver has been spotted making its way through floodwater in Kherson.
A video of the semiaquatic animal has been shared widely on Ukrainian social media as a sign of defiance following what many labelled a ‘terrorist’ act carried out by Putin’s forces.
Beavers are known for their dam-building abilities and have been observed in the wild fixing man-made structures, leading some to suggest that the creature could have a lot of work to do if it wants to mend the 30ft-tall and 144ft-wide dam.
Many pointed out however that the little guy might be distressed by the burst reservoir, with beavers said to hate the sound of running water and to have a natural instinct to want to plug it.
The rodent may have also lost its habitat, with animals as well as humans potentially losing their homes after the wall of water was released – potentially affecting dozens of towns and villages.
Beavers pictured on the streets of Kherson as flooding begins in the occupied Kherson and Kherson region after the destruction of Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant
A drone camera showed the extent of the flooding – water is seen flowing over the top of the damaged dam
Hundreds of thousands of people could be affected by flooding and be forced to leave their homes
The Ukrainian Interior Ministry confirmed this morning that the Kakhovka dam over the Dnieper river in the south of the country was damaged in an explosion and water had begun flooding through.
The ministry called for residents of 10 villages on the river’s right bank and parts of the city of Kherson downriver to evacuate their homes.
Ukrainian authorities have previously warned that the dam’s failure could unleash 18 million cubic meters (4.8 billion gallons) of water and flood Kherson and dozens of settlements, home to hundreds of thousands of people.
After news of the major breach broke, videos emerged of animals dealing with the fallout from the flooding.
Among them, the solitary beaver was shown waddling along an abandoned water-logged roadside, with social media users pointing to the impact of the senseless destruction on animals.
Further heartbreaking footage has shown a soaking, shivering deer following the flooding, which is seeking refuge on a wooden plank.
Another video shows a dog neck-deep in the water, which covers the flood plain in the background as far as the eye can see.
A rescuer wades through the high water to try and rescue the dog, with the terrified pet shaking with fear.
heartbreaking footage has shown a soaking, shivering deer following the flooding, which is seeking refuge on a wooden plank
video shows a dog neck-deep in water, which covers the flood plain in the background as far as the eye can see
READ MORE: ‘Catastrophe’ fears as major dam is blown up near Kherson
Images and video from the scene appear to show the dam has been damaged, with Ukraine blaming Russia
He manages to coax the dog into his four-by-four which incredibly has managed to get through the rising flood to get the animal to safety.
Among the stranded animals, the beaver is possibly one of the best equipped to deal with the rising water around the southern Ukrainian city, and the animals are no stranger to the threats posed by Putin’s forces.
Back in January, Ukraine’s defence ministry even credited beavers in the north of the country with helping the war effort and bolstering defences against the Russian invasion.
Beavers’ damming kept the land on the Belarusian border marshy, they said, repelling potential advances from the neighbouring state, which is allied with Moscow.
The latest development in the bitter war has seen swathes of land in the south become water-logged, with Kyiv and Moscow launching into a blame game over who burst the the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant.
The Russian-held dam in southern Ukraine was partially destroyed by ‘multiple strikes’, Moscow-installed authorities claimed, while Ukraine said Putin’s forces were to blame.
An explosion is seen at the destroyed Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant in the occupied Kherson region of Ukraine, 6 June 2023
A satellite image shows Nova Khakovka Damn in Kherson region, Ukraine June 5, 2023
‘The terrorists’ goal is obvious – to create obstacles for the offensive actions of the armed forces,’ Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak said.
Ukrainian President Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky convened a meeting of his National Security Council over the Russian ‘war crime’, said his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak.
Several villages have been ‘completely or partially flooded’ following damage to the dam and evacuations from the area have begun, a Ukrainian official said.
‘About 16,000 people are in the critical zone on the right bank of the Kherson region,’ Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the Kherson miliary administration, said on social media, adding that there was flooding in eight areas along the Dnipro River.
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