The Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro River was destroyed by internal explosions on June 6, 2023, causing flooding in over 80 settlements, at least 50 confirmed deaths, and billions in estimated environmental damage.
Technical evidence: US and Norwegian intelligence via seismographs detected multiple internal explosions. OSINT evidence indicates sabotage by Russian forces who controlled the structure since February 2022.
Consequences: ICC included the event in investigations for environmental crimes; UN reported 700,000 people without drinking water. Destruction of the Dnipro River ecosystem and draining of the reservoir cooling the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
Attribution: EU and USA attributed responsibility to Russia based on: (1) Russian control of the dam; (2) previous Russian threats (October 2022); (3) seismic data consistent with internal explosions.
Timeline: October 2022 - explicit Russian threats; June 6, 2023 - explosion; July 2023 - ICC preliminary investigations.