Ukraine's Dam Disaster: Implications for Military Operations and Relations with Russia

The destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine by suspected Russian forces has altered nearby shorelines and waterways, creating a potential opening for Ukrainian special-operations forces. The new coastline and fewer opposing forces could become a special-operations playground for Ukrainian commandos operating from around Kherson, who could use drones and missiles to threaten Russian communications and supply lines to Crimea. Ukrainian special operators have been very active in Kyiv's ongoing counteroffensive in the Donbas region and southern Ukraine, and could soon find themselves supporting an amphibious operation in southern Ukraine.