Crimea head says dam blast could lead to water supply problems for peninsula

The canal was blocked by Ukraine after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. The blockade led to acute water shortages on the peninsula that ended only after Russian forces seized the canal in March 2022.

The Russian-backed governor of Crimea said on Tuesday that there is a risk that water levels in the North Crimea Canal, which carries fresh water to the peninsula from the Dnipro river, could fall after the blast at the Nova Kakhovka dam on Tuesday. In a statement on Telegram, Sergei Aksyonov said that Crimea had sufficient water reserves for the moment, and that the level of risk would become clear in the coming days.

Crimea is heavily dependent on water from the canal, which carries water from the Dnipro river, upstream of the dam. The canal was blocked by Ukraine after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. The blockade led to acute water shortages on the peninsula that ended only after Russian forces seized the canal in March 2022.