A village in the Mykolaiv region became an island after the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant was blown up

Three years after the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant was blown up, the village of Afanasiivka in the Mykolaiv region has still not restored the damaged homes—some residents do not even have the money to finish rebuilding the destroyed buildings, and the quality of drinking water in the village has deteriorated permanently.

This is reported in a story by Krym.Realii.

After the dam was destroyed on June 6, 2023, water from the Dnipro River flowed into the Ingulets River and began to fill the ponds around Afanasiivka. According to village head Vasyl Hamka, the water overflowed the dams and eventually destroyed one of them.

In a short time, the village effectively turned into an island. Water surrounded the village on all sides, flooding yards, houses, and fields.

According to the State Emergency Service, 75 people were evacuated from the flooded part of Afanasivka. There were no fatalities during the flood. People and animals were evacuated, in particular, using a pontoon bridge.

The water remained in the village for several days. In total, Afanasivka was surrounded by water for at least ten days.

Local residents told reporters that because the water rose so quickly, many did not have time to remove furniture and household appliances from their homes.

Even after the water receded, the residents’ problems did not end. The homes were left with damaged walls, floors, and utility rooms.

Special commissions assessed the residents’ losses. According to Vasyl Hamka, the amount of compensation depended on the extent of the flooding and the damage caused. 

The amounts ranged from 200,000 to half a million hryvnias. However, these funds could only be used to repair the residential building—not for outbuildings, garages, or cellars.

Valentyna, a resident whose home received 200,000 hryvnias in compensation, said the funds weren’t even enough to finish the repairs.

Some residents are still not living in their own homes. After the flood, Valentina moved in with her daughter because the repairs to her home are not yet complete, and she lacks the money for furniture and appliances.

Another resident, Olena, said that her summer kitchen became uninhabitable after the flooding. The water level there reached approximately 1.75 meters.

According to her, she received 200,000 hryvnias for repairs but was forced to contribute her own funds. After the repairs, she had no money left for furniture or appliances.

After the flood, the quality of the groundwater in the village deteriorated significantly. There is no centralized water supply in Afanasiivka—residents use communal wells, which are regularly inspected by the sanitary inspection agency.

Ірина Глухова