“We got caught in the wave when we blew the dam,” he reveals, recounting how some managed to swim to safety while others in their underpants were rescued from trees.
Kakhovka, Ukraine – September 28, 2023 – A Russian soldier has emerged as a key witness to the Kakhovka Dam disaster in June, providing astonishing details of the incident and raising questions about the official narrative.
In an intercepted phone call released by Ukraine’s Military Intelligence (HUR), the soldier candidly discusses the dire circumstances he and his unit faced during the dam’s collapse earlier this summer.
“We got caught in the wave when we blew the dam,” he reveals, recounting how some managed to swim to safety while others in their underpants were rescued from trees.
The dam was detonated in the early hours of the morning, a time when many Russian troops would have been asleep. The soldier implies that Russian military authorities attempted to downplay the extent of their losses, stating, “They said that only seven people were missing.”
The collapse of the dam in southern Ukraine resulted in widespread flooding, forcing thousands of residents to flee and causing significant environmental damage. While Russia’s proxy officials in Kherson initially blamed Ukrainian forces for the dam’s destruction, evidence, including the soldier’s account, suggests that Russia was responsible for blowing the dam.
The soldier also touches upon recent developments, disclosing that his unit is being relocated to the Zaporizhia region, where Ukrainian forces have made substantial gains in recent weeks. He anticipates prolonged conflict, estimating, “We’ll be in this for at least two more years because Ukrainian forces are putting up fierce resistance.”
Although the authenticity of the intercepted call has not been independently verified, it aligns with the broader context of Russia’s deteriorating situation in the face of Ukraine’s ongoing counteroffensive.
Previous intercepted calls have shed light on various aspects of the conflict, including fears of a “huge” Ukrainian Crimea Liberation Force, heavy Russian losses, and the expectation of protracted warfare.
