Multifaceted impacts of Ukraine’s Kakhovka Dam destruction

Abstract

This study presents a rapid, spatially precise, and comprehensive assessment of the far-reaching impact resulting from the recent demolition of the Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine, leveraging multi-source high-resolution satellite imagery and advanced remote sensing techniques. The findings highlight the extensive downstream flooding (742.58 km2), which includes approximately 62,303 people exposed and 2,361 buildings submerged, with increased effects in buffer zones, and significant damage to 539.84 km2 of herbaceous wetlands in the Dnipro River area. Moreover, we observed a substantial reduction in water storage upstream (177.53 billion m3, approximately 97% of the reservoir’s capacity). Our estimates underscore the potential threat to downstream water supplies and the functioning of the Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest nuclear plant in Europe. Our research emphasizes the immediate need for coordinated action to manage the unfolding crisis and sets an example for future studies that use similar methodologies in conflict regions to enable rapid and effective responses.