Russia Strikes Dam Near Zelensky's Hometown

He slams 'terrorist state' after Kryvyi Rih attack
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 15, 2022 5:55 AM CDT
Missiles Hit Dam Near Zelensky's Hometown
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is surrounded by soldiers during his visit in Izium, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022.   (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

In what Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelensky said was an attempt to exact revenge for recent Ukrainian military successes, Russian missiles hit a reservoir dam near his hometown Wednesday, causing extensive flooding. The Guardian reports that in an address late Wednesday, Zelensky switched to speaking Russian to denounce the attack on the dam near Kryvyi Rih. "You are weaklings who fight civilians," Zelensky said. "Scoundrels who, having escaped from the battlefield, are trying to do harm from somewhere far away." He described Russia as a "terrorist state" and said the dam had no military value.

Authorities in the central Ukraine city, which had a prewar population of around 600,000, said a river overflowed its banks after Russian missiles hit the dam and some houses were flooded, but the situation was brought under control early Thursday, the BBC reports. Earlier Wednesday, Zelensky made a surprise visit to a flag-raising ceremony in the newly liberated city of Izium in northeast Ukraine. Reuters reports that his office said Zelensky's car collided with a private vehicle after he returned to Kyiv. "The president was examined by a doctor, no serious injuries were found," a Zelensky spokesman said. (More Russia-Ukraine war stories.)

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