Zelensky warns Russia is planning ‘catastrophic’ attack on hydroelectric dam

It would be like ‘using weapons of mass destruction on a grand scale’, says Kyiv leader

Russia is planning to destroy a hydroelectric dam in Ukraine’s Kherson region, an act that would result in a “catastrophe on a grand scale”, President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned.

He claims Moscow has planted mines at the dam in the Russian-occupied region, which risks wiping out a 400km-long (250 miles) canal network.

“Russia is preparing [to attack] at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant. According to our information, the aggregates and dam of the Kakhovka HPP were mined by Russian terrorists.

“If the dam is destroyed … the North Crimean canal will simply disappear.”

He added that any such attack would be a “catastrophe” and the equivalent of “using weapons of mass destruction on a grand scale”.

On the ground, Russian separatists in Kherson accused Ukrainian forces of killing at least four civilians and wounding 13 others, in shelling on the city.

Tens of thousands of people are evacuating the southeastern city ahead of an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Vladimir Rogov, an official in the Russian-installed administration of the neighbouring Zaporizhzhia region, said Ukraine had struck the civilians with American-supplied high mobility artillery rocket system (Himars) missiles.

Kiril Stremousov, the deputy chair of Ukraine’s regional council in Kherson – who is on Kyiv-held territory – said Ukrainian forces carried out a strike on a barge at around 11pm local time on Thursday, but denied there were civilians on it.

Russian forces have been driven back by up to 30km in the last few weeks in the Kherson region.

Russian-installed officials have said they will not give up the city. “Kherson will fight to the last and no one is going to surrender the city,” Mr Stremousov said.

Finland's prime minister Sanna Marin speaks with the media as she arrives for Friday’s EU summit in Brussels (AP)

European Union leaders were gathering on Friday ahead of claims by Mr Zelensky that Russia was trying to provoke a fresh wave of migration from Ukraine to EU countries by destroying his war-ravaged country’s energy infrastructure.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has branded Russia’s attacks on civilian infrastructure as “war crimes” and “acts of pure terror”.

More than four million Ukrainian citizens have registered for temporary protection in the EU. Almost a third of them are being hosted in Poland alone.

In a draft of an EU summit statement, the leaders affirm that they “will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes” with continued political, military and economic support.