Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the flood-hit region in the country’s eastern region Kherson

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a visit to the flood-hit region of Kherson in eastern Ukraine on Thursday (June 8) following the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam. During his visit, Zelensky toured a medical facility and met with people who had been evacuated from the affected region. He expressed gratitude to the staff for their heroic efforts.

In contrast, the Kremlin stated on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had no plans to visit the Russian-occupied areas in Kherson that were affected by the flooding.

The flooding caused by the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam has resulted in at least three reported deaths, according to The Kyiv Independent. However, Russian-installed authorities have claimed that at least five people lost their lives.

President Zelensky’s visit to Kherson aimed to oversee the emergency response operations in the region. The dam’s collapse, which both Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other for, led to the release of floodwater from the Dnipro River and forced the evacuation of thousands of people.

Ukrainian Governor Oleksandr Prokudin revealed that approximately 600 square kilometers of Kherson Oblast had been flooded, with 68% of the flooded land on the Russian-occupied east bank of the Dnipro River and 32% on the Ukrainian-controlled west bank.

Zelensky shared updates on his visit to Kherson on social media, stating that he held a coordination meeting on the elimination of the dam explosion’s consequences. He discussed various crucial matters related to the situation, including the evacuation of residents from flood-prone areas, the restoration of affected areas, and the military situation in the disaster zone. The Ukrainian president emphasized the importance of assessing the damage, allocating funds to compensate affected residents, and developing a program to support businesses in the Kherson region.

During his visit, Zelensky also assured the locals that Kherson would be rebuilt after the floods. He expressed his gratitude to the medical staff working at the evacuation point and praised their bravery.

Regarding Putin’s potential visit, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Putin had no plans to visit the Russian-occupied areas in Kherson affected by the flooding but was closely monitoring the situation.