Ukraine dam blast blamed on Russia tips war into new phase

The Kremlin denied responsibility and said Ukraine was behind the blast at the Kakhovska hydroelectric plant

Ukraine blamed Russia for blowing up a giant dam and unleashing millions of gallons of floodwater across its south, complicating fierce fighting as Kyiv's forces intensify their counteroffensive to oust Moscow's troops from occupied territory.

The Kremlin denied responsibility and said Ukraine was behind the blast at the Kakhovska hydroelectric plant early Tuesday as the torrent of water threatened to make tens of thousands of people homeless and renewed fears for the safety of Europe's largest nuclear power station.

Wheat prices jumped, while a separate blast on an ammonia pipeline shut down in the war underscored the vulnerability of key infrastructure as the fighting enters a critical new phase.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the dam has been seen as a potential target for its strategic importance. It supplies the cooling reservoir for the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and feeds into water reserves in the Crimea peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014. Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskiy warned in October that Russia had mined the dam and would explode it to pre-empt an offensive aimed at reclaiming occupied southern and eastern regions of the country.