It is 29 August, 1941. The SovietRelating to the Soviet Union, a powerful group of communist republics, the biggest being Russia, that existed from 1922 to 1991. Red ArmyOver four million German soldiers were killed fighting the Soviet Army between 1941 and 1945. Russian casualties are estimated at close to 11 million. retreats as their dynamite blows up the infamous "LeninA Russian communist revolutionary and first head of the Soviet Union who rose to prominence during Russia's 1917 revolution. dam" at Zaporizhzhia, releasing a violent wave of water which kills as many as 100,000 (Ukrainian) civilians in the hope of slowing the NaziA German political party of the twentieth century, led by Adolf Hitler. The Nazis controlled Germany from the early 1930s until the end of World War II. invasion.¹

History repeats itself. In August, Ukrainians will mark the 82nd anniversary of the day "the Dnipro turned red". But now, there is a new toll.

Floods have swallowed parts of southern Ukraine after the Nova Kakhovka dam in the Kherson region suffered catastrophic breaches earlier this week. The dam is under the control of the Russian military and, as such, nobody knows for sure what caused it to collapse.

The effects are numerous. Tens of thousands have been evacuated from their homes. The KremlinA central fortress in a city, used to refer to a complex in Moscow with five palaces and four cathedrals. The Russian government is run from within this citadel. has claimed that the breach may deprive the residents of CrimeaA peninsula in southern Ukraine that was seized by Russian forces in 2014 and annexed to the larger country. of water.

And while experts have assessed that there is no immediate nuclear safety risk, that could change in the future.²

Of course, Russia has denied any involvement. But many say the timing is just a little too lucky to be coincidental. The collapse could seriously hold back Ukraine's long-awaited summer counteroffensiveA set of attacks to defend against attacks from an enemy..

The destruction of the dam is one of the most significant damages to Ukraine's infrastructureThe basic systems and services that a country needs to keep it going. since the beginning of the war. Meanwhile, the ecological effects are being described as "the worst environmental disaster in Ukraine since ChernobylThe disaster, in 1986, involved a meltdown at a nuclear plant in Ukraine.". It could have serious implications for the future of the conflict.

But some say this is just another Russian tantrum. Ukrainian forces and Russian military bloggers alike have noted Ukraine's successes on the front line. Its coming counteroffensive is likely a worrying prospect for Putin, who may just want to destroy everything he can before he is forced out.

Yes: This will at least stall Ukraine's counteroffensive, and gives Russia an edge on their side of the river. If Russia did this, it was certainly a daring move, but one which will pay off.

No: If anything, this should reveal the extent of Putin's fears. His own military commanders are turning against him, complaining of Ukraine's impressive advancements on the front line. Desperate times call for desperate measures from a desperate man.

Or... This benefits nobody. It will weaken morale in Crimea, which Ukraine will almost certainly try to regain at some point. It contaminates the Black SeaA sea between Europe and Asia, with coastline in Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Bulgaria, Georgia and Romania. , which Russia also borders.