Putin Killed Tens of Thousands of Animals in Kakhovka Dam 'Ecocide'—Rescuer

Russian President Vladimir Putin is responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of animals in flooding caused by the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine, Oleksandr Todorchuk, founder of Ukrainian animal welfare charity UAnimals, told Newsweek.

"It's really ecocide that the Russian Army committed in Ukraine," said Todorchuk, a 35-year-old Ukrainian soldier and a public activist who is coordinating rescue missions to evacuate trapped animals as water levels rise in the partially occupied Kherson region.

The Soviet-era dam in Nova Kakhovka collapsed in the early hours of Tuesday morning, prompting mass evacuations and fears of widespread devastation. Ukraine and Russia have blamed each other for the dam's destruction. Russia has been accused of "ecocide" and of committing a "terrorist attack" by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Russia said it was done by Ukraine to distract attention from a "faltering" Kyiv counteroffensive.

The Ukrainian environment ministry has said the dam's collapse will likely destroy hundreds of rare animal and plant species. Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Oleksandr Krasnolutskyi said "this is the biggest ecocide in Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion."

In the immediate aftermath of the dam's destruction, Olena Navrotska, owner of the Kakhovka Dibrova Zoo, said officials believe all of its animals—about 300—were killed in flooding despite efforts to rescue them. Newsweek was told only ducks and swans survived.

"It's in occupied territory, and the zoo was situated near the [dam]. So they had a few minutes after this tragedy to save the animals—they had no time to save them," said Todorchuk.

The death toll for animals caught up in flooding throughout the region will likely be in the tens of thousands, according to Todorchuk's estimates.

"This situation is really terrible. It's a Russian crime. It's not just people, but also ecology, and animals are in danger," he said. "I understand that lots of animals died or will die because of this Russian crime. I think that we're talking about tens of thousands of animals."

Todorchuk said UAnimals has been speaking with ecological experts since the dam's collapse, who say that some 20 species of animals may "disappear" as a result.

"This situation is really terrible, horrifying for the ecological system," he said.

Todorchuk, working with his team of nearly 30 people, said the water presents a new kind of challenge in animal rescues. UAnimals, founded in 2016, has been working throughout the full-scale invasion to rescue displaced animals and relocate them to shelters, despite the dangers of shelling.

"Now the main challenge is not just the war, but also water," he said, noting that the flooding hit mined territory in Kherson.

Ukrainian officials have warned of the dangers posed by floating mines unearthed by flooding, as well as chemicals and infectious bacteria in the water.

"That's one more problem to work with in this evacuation. We're really careful, we talk with Ukrainian soldiers before we start our evacuation missions. They tell us where we can go, where is more dangerous," he said.

Todorchuk said UAnimals started with rescuing pets—dogs and cats—in the Kherson region.

"Now, some our teams that work with wild animals have started their work, so I think that in one week we'll understand the full situation about the animals that we can save there," he said.

"We saved homeless dogs, cats, and we saved some dogs and cats that were closed in some houses or buildings. Because when the water came, not every person had the possibility to open these doors, because people maybe were in other places, you know?"

UAnimals' mission, Todorchuk said, is "to save every life."

"We understand that we need to save every life from this war. It's an important part of the Ukrainian mind," he said.

Zelensky expressed a similar message in a post on Twitter on Wednesday.

"While the Russian evil is terrorizing and destroying all living things, we are doing and will continue to do everything to save every living creature!" Zelensky tweeted. "Thousands and thousands of animals are trapped in the flood after the destruction of the dam and other structures of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant by Russia."

"We remember that humanity means taking care not just of each other, but of all living beings. We, Ukrainians, save and protect lives," the Ukrainian leader added.

Putin, on the other hand, "thinks just about territory—not about people, ecology," said Todorchuk.

"He doesn't think about Russian people or Ukrainian people, or animals."

Newsweek has contacted the Russian Foreign Ministry via email for comment.

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