Both Russian-controlled and Ukrainian-held lands were at risk. It was not immediately clear why either side might destroy the dam, and its collapse might have resulted from gradual degradation. Ukrainian forces were widely seen to be moving forward with a long-anticipated counteroffensive in patches along more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) of front line in the east and south. The dam break, which both sides long feared, added a stunning new dimension to Russia’s war, now in its 16th month. Neither side reported any deaths or injuries.Ī satellite photo Tuesday morning by Planet Labs PBC analyzed by The Associated Press showed more than 600 meters (over 1,900 feet) missing from the wall of the 1950s-era dam.

About 25,000 people in Russian-controlled areas and 17,000 in Ukrainian-held territory should be evacuated, Ukraine’s deputy chief prosecutor Viktoriia Lytvynova said on Ukrainian television. Both Russian and Ukrainian authorities brought in trains and buses to move residents to safety.

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