An explosion at a hydroelectric power plant in central Italy has left at least three people dead, with four missing and three others injured. The cause of the explosion at the dam on Lake Suviana, managed by energy company Enel, is not yet clear. The company reported a fire on one of its transformers and stated that the plant was offline at the time, with no impact on electricity supply. Rescue operations are ongoing as firefighters search for missing individuals.
The destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine, which was blown up on June 6, has caused a humanitarian crisis, an energy emergency, and an ecological disaster. The dam's reservoir has drained into the Dnieper River, flooding surrounding lands, homes, and infrastructure with poisonous runoff, forcing thousands of residents to flee. The explosion has caused damage to both Russia and Ukraine, and the environmental and energy implications will hurt both countries for years to come. The Black Sea, already Europe's most polluted water body, is also at risk, which will harm its coastal neighbors. The destruction of the dam will also impact Ukraine's exports, industries, and food supplies.
Ukraine's deputy defence minister has accused Russian forces of blowing up the Khakhovka dam to prevent Ukrainian troops from advancing in the southern Kherson region. The action unleashed a vast flood which inundated towns and villages, trapped residents and swept away entire houses. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that counteroffensive and defensive operations were taking place in Ukraine, and a military spokesman has said that counterattacking Ukrainian forces have advanced up to 1,400 metres at a number of sections of the front line near the eastern city of Bakhmut.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has condemned the attack on the Nova Kakhovka dam in Ukraine, which is believed to have been carried out by Russian forces. While British military and intelligence agencies are examining the evidence, Sunak said that if proven to be an intentional act, it would represent the largest attack on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine since the start of the war and demonstrate new lows in terms of Russian aggression. Sunak is currently en route to Washington D.C. for his first White House summit with US President Joe Biden, where they are expected to discuss US-UK cooperation on Ukraine and economic issues.
