Russia blew up dam near Ukraine's Kostiantynivka, raising risk of humanitarian disaster
Illustrative photo: Russian aircraft dropped an aerial bomb on a dam near Kostiantynivka (Getty Images)
Russian forces destroyed a dam near Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region, once again putting people’s lives at risk, according to Dmytro Lubinets, Commissioner of the Ukrainian Parliament for Human Rights.
"Russia is deliberately creating the conditions for a humanitarian disaster. This time, Russian troops released footage showing the destruction of a dam near Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region," he wrote.
He added that such actions by the Russian army could lead to:
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flooding of populated areas;
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destruction of critical infrastructure and life-support systems;
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damage to roads and bridges;
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loss of homes and livelihoods;
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contamination of water and soil, and the destruction of entire ecosystems.
"Russia is playing with human lives as if it will never face punishment," Lubinets emphasized.
Russia blows up dam near Ukraine's Kostiantynivka, raising threat of humanitarian disaster pic.twitter.com/1JxpWQO1gR
— RBC-Ukraine (@NewsUkraineRBC) February 27, 2026
He stressed that the world clearly remembers how Russian forces destroyed the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant and the consequences it caused.
The ombudsman also recalled that dams are granted special protection under international humanitarian law, and their destruction is strictly prohibited.
"Russia’s actions constitute a war crime and a grave violation of the Geneva Conventions. I have addressed official letters to the United Nations calling for this incident to be officially documented and for a clear international legal assessment of the actions of the aggressor state. The world has no right to remain silent," he added.
DeepState data
Earlier, the DeepState project reported that Russian forces dropped a three-ton guided aerial bomb (KAB) on the dam near Kostiantynivka.
As a result, water reached the Druzhkivka–Kostiantynivka highway, which, according to DeepState, is now impassable.
Strikes on the Pechenihy dam
In early December last year, Ukraine’s 16th Army Corps stated that Russian forces had been systematically attacking the Pechenihy dam in the Kharkiv region.
The facility is a strategic water supply site for dozens of settlements.
Russian troops attempted to destroy the dam using missiles, guided aerial bombs (KABs), Shahed drones, as well as Molniya and FPV drones.
