The former Kakhov reservoir is being filled with water again: how natural is this process and what does it mean from the point of view of passability and possibilities of amphibious operations.
Kakhov reservoir even after detonation by the Russian occupiers of the HPP remains a very difficult terrain, which in military terms can only be mentioned in this way.
Public Sentinel images from the European Space Agency speak of this, which directly show that the option when the drained Kakhov reservoir will simplify landing operations is unlikely. To do this, you can compare pictures from March 11, 2024 and October 28, 2023.
About this write Defence Express.
In particular, last year at the end of October, the former Kakhov reservoir looked like this:
Kakhov reservoir October 28, 2023 / Photo: Defense express
In general, the Dnipro has already returned to its historical riverbed, and the entire area resembles as much as possible what is depicted on historical maps – Velikiy Lug. But in mid-March 2024, this same area looks like this:
Kakhov reservoir on March 11, 2024 / Photo: Defense Express
Obviously, due to natural processes with melting snow, large areas again went under water. And this means that when the water recedes again, it will be very weak soils where any equipment, including amphibious, will not pass.
We will also provide more detailed pictures:
The biggest changes are visible east of Energodar / Photo: Defense Express
Opposite the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant itself, where the width of the Dnieper became much larger near the right bank:
Opposite the ZNPP, the width of the Dnieper has become much larger near the right bank / Photo: Defense Express
And also to the east of it in the area of Novovorontsovka and Osokorivka, where the width of the water surface actually returned to the level before the explosion of the Kakhovskaya HPP:
Here, the width of the water surface actually returned to the level before the explosion of the Kakhovskaya HPP / Photo: Defense Express
Downstream, the changes are smaller. Below in the pictures are the area of Dudchany and Velyka Lepetikha villages:
District of Dudchany and Velyka Lepetikha villages / Photo: Defense Express
There are also smaller changes immediately south of Zaporizhzhia, but it is equally about a low-traffic area:
There remains a narrow space / Photo: Defense Express
Thus, despite the fact that the Kakhov reservoir has been drained, the area itself – Velikiy Lug – is the least suitable for any advances. Because there is a combination of the Dnipro river itself, floodplains, marshy and flooded areas.
This is the natural state of the Great Meadow: the minimum water level is in September-October, and with the beginning of spring and floods and by mid-summer, it turns into an almost continuous water space.
Before showed the bottom of the Kakhov reservoir after the destruction of the hydroelectric power plant and dam by the Russians. It is overgrown with grass and looks like a football field.
We will remind, on the night of June 6, 2023, OK “Pivden” reported that the Russian occupiers blew up the Kakhovskaya HPP.
The Ministry of Economy counted the amount of direct losses caused by the explosion of the Kakhovskaya HPP is at least $2 billion.
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