In Russia, a group of MPs ask Kremlin to return to "universally recognised" borders of Russia due to the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station bombing - ISW

A group of current and former Russian municipal officials in the Russian Federation signed an open letter calling on Russian forces to return to Russia's "universally recognised" borders. The demand was put forward allegedly in connection with the explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station in Kherson region.

The appeal was supported by representatives of the municipal authorities of Moscow and St Petersburg, as well as Moscow and Leningrad regions. This is stated in the analytics of the Institute for War Studies.

Russian officials are allegedly "concerned" that the destruction of the hydroelectric dam will affect the planet's ecosystem, health and economy for many decades. The letter also stated that the actions of the Kremlin's assassin Vladimir Putin since 24 February 2022 had led to catastrophic events. At the same time, the officials did not argue that the continuation of Russian war crimes in Ukraine was the reason for the withdrawal of Russian troops.

Analysts believe that officials not affiliated with the Kremlin are likely to use public concern over the environmental and humanitarian situation associated with the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam to express their opposition to the war in Ukraine. At the same time, they do not directly criticise the Kremlin's military actions.

"The Kremlin has broadly created conditions to suppress anti-war dissent. Russians who hold anti-war sentiments can use the destruction of hydroelectric power plants to express their disagreement with the war in a very limited way," ISW analysts say.

The document was allegedly addressed to "decision-makers" in the Russian government, as well as directly to Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Russian Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov.

As a reminder, the Ukrainian office of the environmental organisation Greenpeace reported that the Russian occupiers' explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station had flooded oil refineries, petrol stations, thermal power plants and various warehouses - 32 facilities in total.

Earlier, satellite photos were released showing the changes that took place in Kherson between the first and tenth day of the flooding. The images show the Korabel district in Kherson. The photos show the state of the area on the third day after the explosion - 9 June, and a week later - on the tenth day.

By the way, Health Minister Viktor Liashko said that after the occupiers blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station, certain water levels in the Dnipro were 28,000 times higher than normal. That is why it is forbidden to swim or fish in the river below the Kakhovka dam, and it is not allowed to drink this water or water livestock, as it can potentially lead to illness.

As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, Russian terrorists blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station on the night of 6 June, at around 2:50 am. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attack by the occupiers the largest man-made eco-disaster in Europe in decades.

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