KHERSON, Ukraine: Before-and-after images of the area downstream from a dam that collapsed Tuesday vividly show the extent of the devastation of a large, flooded swathe of southern Ukraine.
Before the Kakhovka dam on the Dnieper River broke, farm fields appear green and crossed by peaceful streets and farm roads and dotted with trees. Afterward, only metal roofs and treetops poke above the murky water. Greenhouses and homes are almost entirely submerged.
The pre-collapse satellite photos were taken in May and early June. Photos of the same area taken after the dam collapsed clearly show how much of it has become unlivable. Brown water as high as people covers much of the territory captured in the images.
Paired with exclusive drone footage of the Ukrainian dam and surrounding villages occupied by Russia, the before-and-after satellite images illustrate the profound changes wrought by the disaster.
Ukraine has warned since last October that the hydroelectric dam was mined by Russian forces, and accused them of touching off an explosion that has turned the downstream areas into a waterlogged wasteland. Russia said Ukraine hit the dam with a missile. But while the AP footage clearly shows the extent of the damage to the region, it offered a limited snapshot of the partially submerged dam, making it difficult to categorically rule out any scenario.
Experts have said the structure was in disrepair, which could also have led to its collapse.
Before-and-after satellite images show profound toll of Ukraine dam collapse
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Before-and-after satellite images show profound toll of Ukraine dam collapse
- Before the Kakhovka dam on the Dnieper River broke, farm fields appear green and crossed by peaceful streets and farm roads and dotted with trees
- Afterward, only metal roofs and treetops poke above the murky water
Robbers assault Chinese MP in million-euro Paris burglary
- The Chinese MP was “assaulted in his sleep and reports the theft of several pieces of jewelry ” prosecutors said
- The unauthorized use of a key could be an aggravating factor
PARIS: Thieves attacked a Chinese lawmaker at his Paris home while he was asleep, making off with jewelry and luxury goods worth several million euros, prosecutors said on Friday.
The attack took place overnight Thursday to Friday in the city’s upscale 16th arrondissement, where police found no signs of forced entry, the Paris public prosecutor’s office said.
The Chinese MP was “assaulted in his sleep and reports the theft of several pieces of jewelry and luxury goods,” prosecutors added.
The unauthorized use of a key could be an aggravating factor, it added.
The victim woke after hearing noise and was struck on the head by the burglars before they escaped, a police source said.
The suspects fled with watches, brooches and other valuables, with losses estimated between six and seven million euros ($8.3 million), the source said, adding that the Chinese deputy reported two thieves were involved.
