Dam’s destruction ‘environmental catastrophe’, Ukraine says | Russia-Ukraine war News
The breach of the Nova Kakhovka dam in Ukraine will have a catastrophic effect on locating landmines in the affected region, the Red Cross warns.
“We knew where the hazards were,” said Erik Tollefsen, head of the Weapon Contamination Unit at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). “Now we don’t know.
“All we know is that they are somewhere downstream.”
“This is a major concern because it will affect not just the population but also all of those that are coming in to help,” he added.
The ICRC had spent several months helping mine clearance operations in Ukraine, mapping and marking minefields, and providing training and equipment, Tollefsen said.
“Now all of that has been washed away.”
