Pechenizka Reservoir. Military announces backup options if Russia critically damages dam

The Ukrainian military said it is prepared for the possibility that the occupiers could critically damage the dam of the Pechenizka Reservoir, and that the defenders have backup routes. About this wrote 16th Army Corps of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The unit noted that the Pechenizka Dam has been the target of occupiers' attacks for a long time: the invaders tried to hit the facility with Shahed kamikaze drones, guided bombs, missiles of various types, Molniya UAVs and FPV drones.

Only in recent days, the defenders have recorded several attempts to hit this area – on December 5, an occupier's missile hit a summer cottage near the dam, destroying more than 10 houses.

"The Ukrainian side has long been aware of the potential risks and is ready for the dam to suffer critical damage. Appropriate response plans were developed in advance," the command emphasized.

According to it, backup routes have been developed in case this dam is damaged: "They were actively used before, and now they fully allow us to provide the necessary logistics."

The corps also said that Ukrainian defenders have already accumulated the necessary supplies of material and technical resources, so the possible temporary loss of the ability to move across the dam "will not have a critical impact on the conduct of hostilities."

"And thirdly, if necessary, the Ukrainian Defense Forces are ready to resume the crossing as soon as possible. For this purpose, there are special engineering means and specialists who are already working according to the established schemes," the statement added.

At the same time, the military emphasized that the Pechenizka dam is a critical facility that "ensures water supply, ecosystem stability and security for dozens of settlements in Kharkiv region."

Attempts to destroy this facility have "no justification" from a military point of view, and strikes on it constitute an indiscriminate attack on a civilian object, which is prohibited by international humanitarian law and qualifies as a war crime, the corps added.

• On the afternoon of December 7, it became known that Russia had struck the dam of the Pechenizka Reservoir, which caused the roadway to be closed. The regional authorities reported that specialists were working at the site, surveys and priority restoration measures are underway.