World News for Students of English

09-06-2023 07:00

Thousands of people are being evacuated downstream of a major dam in Russian-held Ukraine.

President Zelensky accused Russia of destroying the dam, putting 80 towns and villages at risk of flooding. Russia denied the accusation, blaming the Ukrainian shelling. The dam is crucial for providing water to farmers, residents, and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Video footage showed floodwater gushing through a breach in the dam, already flooding several towns. Approximately 40,000 people need to be evacuated. Ukraine-controlled territory has 17,000 evacuees, while Russian-controlled territory has 25,000. Concerns are raised about the impact on the nuclear power plant; however, the situation is said to be under control.

The cause of the dam breach is unknown, with Ukraine accusing Russia of deliberate destruction. World leaders condemned the attack and they called it a war crime.

Difficult words: gush (to flow out in a rapid stream), breach (a gap in a wall or barrier), evacuee (a person who is taken away from a place of danger).

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