Paul Ronzheimer is the deputy editor-in-chief of BILD and a senior journalist reporting for Axel Springer, the parent company of POLITICO.
KYIV — Russian forces are shooting at Ukrainian rescuers attempting to reach those trapped in flood-struck areas of occupied Kherson after the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an exclusive interview.
The floodwaters threaten 80 settlements on both the Ukrainian-held and Russian-occupied sides of the river, according to Kyiv.
“From the roofs of the flooded houses, people see drowned people floating by.
“They understand very well that they will lose this battle,” Zelenskyy told Axel Springer, POLITICO’s parent company.
“This is happening on occupied territory,” Zelenskyy said, adding that he had long warned his Western allies of the probability the Russians would attempt to destroy the dam.
The Russians “are afraid that we will start the counteroffensive in this direction and they want to make it difficult to liberate our areas. »
