BY BRENDAN COLE
ON 6/13/23
Skeletons that have emerged from receding waters following flooding caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam have sparked speculation they could be the remains of World War II soldiers.
Ukraine has accused Russia of destroying the Kakhovka dam that lies downstream from the huge Kakhovka reservoir, which is a crucial water supply for the region and a vital channel to the south of the country. Moscow has denied responsibility for the dam's destruction which has led to widespread flooding and urgent evacuation efforts.
The Telegram channel of Politika Strana, which reports on the war in Ukraine, was among the outlets that shared a video of skulls found in mudflats at the bottom of the Kakhovka reservoir in the Kherson oblast. Following the destruction of the dam, the reservoir lost almost three-quarters of its water (72 percent), according to the outlet.
The video, set to dramatic music, pans over human remains sticking out of the muddy ground. Some of the skulls are still wearing military helmets that look similar to those worn by German soldiers in World War II.
Skeletons that have emerged from receding waters following flooding caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam have sparked speculation they could be the remains of World War II soldiers.
Ukraine has accused Russia of destroying the Kakhovka dam that lies downstream from the huge Kakhovka reservoir, which is a crucial water supply for the region and a vital channel to the south of the country. Moscow has denied responsibility for the dam's destruction which has led to widespread flooding and urgent evacuation efforts.
The Telegram channel of Politika Strana, which reports on the war in Ukraine, was among the outlets that shared a video of skulls found in mudflats at the bottom of the Kakhovka reservoir in the Kherson oblast. Following the destruction of the dam, the reservoir lost almost three-quarters of its water (72 percent), according to the outlet.
The video, set to dramatic music, pans over human remains sticking out of the muddy ground. Some of the skulls are still wearing military helmets that look similar to those worn by German soldiers in World War II.
The muddy banks exposed by the receding waters of the Dnieper river on the central beach of Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on June 11, 2023. It followed damages sustained at Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam which Ukraine has blamed Russia for
.ANATOLII STEPANOV/GETTY IMAGES
Newsweek could not verify the contents of this video and reached out to Ukraine's Defense Ministry via email for comment.
Social media users commented on the alleged discovery, with Twitter user Sprinter sharing the video, writing: "The flood of the Dnieper washed away the German military graves of the Great Patriotic War," referring to Russia's name for the conflict in a message repeated by others in a Twitter thread.
Others were skeptical about the unverified discovery, with the Twitter user HoaxEye responding to Sprinter: "What makes me suspicious is the skull with helmet. I can't see how the helmet could stay attached to the skull"
The Ukrainian government has not commented directly on the reported discoveries.
However, its interior ministry did warn people not to walk along the dried-up reservoir, saying that ammunition dating back to World War II had been found there. Controlled explosions in the area were carried out on June 10.
Newsweek could not verify the contents of this video and reached out to Ukraine's Defense Ministry via email for comment.
Social media users commented on the alleged discovery, with Twitter user Sprinter sharing the video, writing: "The flood of the Dnieper washed away the German military graves of the Great Patriotic War," referring to Russia's name for the conflict in a message repeated by others in a Twitter thread.
Others were skeptical about the unverified discovery, with the Twitter user HoaxEye responding to Sprinter: "What makes me suspicious is the skull with helmet. I can't see how the helmet could stay attached to the skull"
The Ukrainian government has not commented directly on the reported discoveries.
However, its interior ministry did warn people not to walk along the dried-up reservoir, saying that ammunition dating back to World War II had been found there. Controlled explosions in the area were carried out on June 10.
Historians suggested that the remains could come from the Battle of the Dnieper which was fought 80 years ago around Nikopol and Kamianka-Dniprovska—roughly the same area as the center of Ukraine's counteroffensive.
Many Germans were left lying in marshes which were then submerged with the building of the dam in 1956 at Nova Kakhovka. An expert on German military relics in Ukraine, Oleksii Kokot, told The Guardian that "dead German soldiers were just left lying in the fields" which meant that "these could really be German soldiers."
One of Vladimir Putin's justifications for the war he started was to rid Ukraine of Nazis, a claim which has been roundly dismissed by Kyiv and the international community.
The video comes as Ukrainian officials said that 41 people were still missing in the floods caused by the collapsed dam and that 10 people had been killed. Regional head Oleksandr Prokudin said around 3,600 houses in 31 settlements remained flooded on the Ukraine-controlled right bank of the Dnieper River.
Stock photo of skeletal remains. Dropping water levels in the Karkovkha dam have left mudflats and some unexpected remains uncovered.
The flooding has had a huge environmental impact. The humanitarian group Project HOPE is among aid organizations trying to help people in Kherson cope.
"The extensive flooding caused by the Kakhovka Dam destruction has resulted in even greater humanitarian needs for communities that were already lacking access to basic needs like food, water, and medical care, " Giorgio Trombatore, Project HOPE Country Director for Ukraine, told Newsweek in an emailed statement. "This disaster calls for a more robust and coordinated response from the international community."
The flooding has had a huge environmental impact. The humanitarian group Project HOPE is among aid organizations trying to help people in Kherson cope.
"The extensive flooding caused by the Kakhovka Dam destruction has resulted in even greater humanitarian needs for communities that were already lacking access to basic needs like food, water, and medical care, " Giorgio Trombatore, Project HOPE Country Director for Ukraine, told Newsweek in an emailed statement. "This disaster calls for a more robust and coordinated response from the international community."
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