Ukrainian troops advanced by as much as a kilometer (0.6 miles) during fighting around the eastern city of Bakhmut, the Defense Ministry said, as Kyiv rushed to evacuate people from areas flooded by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam.
(Bloomberg) — Ukrainian troops advanced by as much as a kilometer (0.6 miles) during fighting around the eastern city of Bakhmut, the Defense Ministry said, as Kyiv rushed to evacuate people from areas flooded by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam.
Kyiv and its allies were assessing the humanitarian, economic and ecological damage of the blast. The Biden administration said it was investigating who was responsible for the destruction, which it said had likely resulted in “many deaths.” Kyiv has blamed Russia, which analysts said was most likely to benefit militarily because the flooding could block a potential avenue of attack for Ukrainian forces. The Kremlin denied responsibility.
The flooding — one of the largest man-made disasters in Europe in decades — inundated almost 2,000 buildings on the west bank of the wide Dnipro River, triggering power blackouts and cutting access to drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. He challenged the International Committee of the Red Cross to join rescue operations immediately.
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Market Impact
Wheat prices slipped after a five-day advance as traders assessed the implications of the escalation of fighting, the destruction of the dam, and the weather outlook.
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Coming Up
- Floodwaters from the dam breach are expected to peak
- Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin takes part in meeting of CIS leaders
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