Russia is placing explosives at dams in its own Belgorod Oblast, possibly to stage provocations and accuse Ukraine of causing environmental damage, a spokesperson of Ukraine's Kharkiv group of forces said on Sept. 19.
Belgorod, lying only some 25 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, is one of the Russian cities most directly impacted by Moscow's war against Ukraine.
The city has come under numerous strikes, and ground clashes have taken place in Belgorod Oblast, most recently as part of Ukraine's cross-border incursions ongoing since early August.
Military spokesperson Vitalii Sarantsev said that Russia is not only fortifying the Belgorod area but also mining dams, a move that can serve various purposes in the future.
"If the situation changes dramatically, Russia may blow up the dams to slow the advance of Ukrainian forces," Sarantsev suggested.
"We can also assume that Russia is preparing provocations at the dams to blame Ukraine for environmental and humanitarian consequences." This can be used to mobilize the population and divert attention from internal problems, he added.
Moscow has not yet commented on the statement. The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.
Sarantsev did not mention any specific dams in the statement quoted by the Kharkiv group of forces. In Belgorod Oblast, there are 1,100 ponds and four artificial water reservoirs, including the Belgorod reservoir south of the city, covering an area of over 2,500 square kilometers (960 square miles).
Russia destroyed the occupied Kakhovka dam in Ukraine's Kherson Oblast in June 2023, unleashing massive floods and an environmental and humanitarian disaster across southern Ukraine.
Russian forces also damaged the dams and the adjacent hydroelectric power plants in Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia during mass aerial attacks against energy infrastructure.
Kateryna Denisova
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