The Russian war has escalated to a level of mayhem since the bridge from Russia to the Crimea was blown up by what is believed a Ukraine lorry, on 8th October, 2022. The BBC reported that repair works will be completed in July 2023.
Tension of war between Russia and Ukraine has continued to rise. The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia plans to destroy a hydroelectric dam in Kherson in the east of the country. Actually, the president says he would be evacuating his soldiers in that area.
Zelensky also said Russian forces undermined the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant with the intention of blowing it up, in what would be a "large-scale catastrophe." Hundreds of thousands of people around the lower Dnipro River would be in danger of flooding if the dam was destroyed, he warned in comments to European leaders on Friday.
Zelensky also warned that cutting off the water supply to the south could also affect the cooling systems of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest. According to him, Russia's goal would be to stop the Ukrainian advance in the region and protect Russian troops, as announced by Zelensky's adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak.
Furthermore, Zelensky warned that Russia's leadership gave the order to turn the energy system itself into a battlefield, and that the consequences would be very dangerous, for everyone in Europe.
He went on to say that Ukraine has implemented energy-saving measures across the country after Russian missile and drone strikes destroyed at least 30 percent of the country's power plants in a week.
As well, Zelensky said that Ukraine killed 65,000 Russian troops, however, the BBC Russian service says it has identified more than 7,500 Russian service personnel who have died in the Ukraine war, though the actual level of casualties is believed to be much higher.
Although these numbers are disputed there is no doubt that casualties on both sides are climbing.
Take Care!
Prof. Carl Boniface
Vocabulary builder:
Mayhem (n) = chaos, disorder, confusion, turmoil, havoc, bedlam, anarchy, (ant) order
Lorry (n) = lorry (UK), truck (US), wagon, Heavy Goods Vehicle (HRV)
Dam (n) = barrier, block, wall, barrage, obstruction
Undermined (adj) = lessen the effectiveness, power, or ability of, especially gradually or insidiously. (sun) challenged, destabilized, undercut, damaged