• Українською
  • Statement by Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal at Government session
    Communications Department of the Secretariat of the CMU, posted 09 June 2023 17:41

    Esteemed colleagues! Fellow Ukrainians!

    Today, our attention is focused on the south of Ukraine, where a large-scale rescue operation is being carried out after the russian terrorist attack on the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant.

    This is an unprecedented man-made disaster for Europe. It is premeditated, cynical and designed to inflict maximum losses on civilians and our country.

    Since the first hours after russia blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, we have been taking measures to help Ukrainians. The Government has allocated a total of UAH 2.4 billion to supply water to residents of Kherson, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions. We will quickly build new water mains.

    The headquarters for the liquidation of the accident consequences, headed by the Minister of Internal Affairs, is in place. 1,400 people and 345 pieces of equipment are involved. We have set up nine evacuation stations in Kherson region, evacuated 2,300 people so far and organised the supply of drinking water. We are providing comprehensive assistance to those affected, including psychological help.

    I am grateful to each and every person involved in the rescue efforts. I thank volunteers, donors, all the regions and communities that are helping. We see an extraordinary level of solidarity among Ukrainians. This unity is our strength and the key to our victory.

    We also call on the world to respond to the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant disaster with actions, not words.

    First of all, to acknowledge the obvious – it is russia that is responsible for the blast. Punishing the terrorists for violating the laws and customs of war and for ecocide will be inevitable. Secondly, we call for intensive assistance to Ukraine to minimise the consequences of the disaster. We thank those who are already doing this. Thirdly, the intervention of international organisations is important: the UN, the Red Cross and others to save those who are now under occupation.

    The situation on the left bank of Kherson region is critical. The occupiers are not rescuing civilians, they are blocking people from leaving the disaster zone and shooting them in the back.

    Also yesterday, in the midst of the evacuation, russian terrorists massively shelled Kherson and the region. They shelled people who had just been rescued from a water trap. Flood victims, rescuers and doctors came under attack. The enemy has once again proved that the values of humanity and humanism are alien to them.

    The blowing up of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant will have long-lasting and far-reaching consequences. According to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, the environmental damage is currently estimated at more than UAH 55 billion. These are preliminary, not final figures.

    Huge areas of agricultural land have also been flooded. According to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, 10,000 hectares have been flooded on the right bank alone. Soils and more than 30 irrigation systems will have to be restored when the water recedes. Previous estimates of Ukraine’s reconstruction needs have to be revised. According to preliminary data from Ukrhydroenergo, the restoration of the hydroelectric power plant alone will cost approximately EUR 1 billion. Other related works will cost the same amount.

    We have recently agreed with the World Bank on a rapid assessment of the damage and needs resulting from this disaster, together with international partners.

    These are challenges to which Ukraine and its partners must respond in unison. We are not talking about Ukraine’s losses, we are talking about Europe’s losses. The echo of the terrorist attack at the Kakhovka HPP will reach all corners of the continent. Therefore, common threats require common actions.

    We work in a coordinated and effective manner for our common victory. It is getting closer every day.

    Thank you for your attention! Glory to Ukraine!

    Statement by Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal at Government session Statement by Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal at Government session Statement by Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal at Government session Statement by Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal at Government session Statement by Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal at Government session Statement by Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal at Government session