The terrorist attack at the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric plant, which Russia committed on June 6, caused enormous damage to Ukraine. Dozens of settlements were flooded because of the dam explosion, killing people, flora, and fauna. Rivers carry the muddy streams and the explosive devices the occupants installed into the Black Sea.
Intestinal pathogens
Meanwhile, water samples in Odessa and the region tested positive for astroviruses, which can cause gastroenteritis (known as stomach flu) in humans. It is spread through close contact with those infected or through contaminated food or water.
According to Heiberg, Cholera vibrio NAG group 1 is also present in the water. It is noted that these bacteria do not cause cholera but do cause acute intestinal infections.
At the same time, the drinking water taken for analysis complies with the norms.
Currently, residents of the Odesa and Mykolaiv regions are not allowed to swim in the sea.
Decrease in water salinity
Due to the destruction of the Kakhovska hydroelectric dam, the salinity of the Black Sea has dropped sharply, according to the Ukrainian Headquarters for the Elimination of the Consequences of the Catastrophe.
According to the results of the analyses, near Odessa, the salinity of the sea has become almost three times lower. Ecologists say this is because fresh water got into the sea due to the dam’s destruction.
Earlier experts warned that desalination of the Black Sea threatens the bloom of blue-green algae, which suppresses the natural flora of the reservoir. Also, due to the dam’s destruction, toxic substances from the sewage system and landfills could get into the sea.
Environmentalists also recorded a ninefold excess of iron in the water.
Garbage and corpses on the Black Sea coast
Garbage, plants, and dirt are hauled to Odessa’s coast, and dead animals are discovered in the depths of the sea. In addition to the biomass that has arrived on the beach, the Black Sea has a large amount of household rubbish. We’re talking about furniture shards and entire house components like roofs, doors, slate, dishes, and solid waste. One of the many disastrous results of this has been a mass fish plague, killing and poisoning sea life. Due to this, catching any sea life was made illegal, even further challenging the survival of the residents.
Rescuers also noted that the water carried mines and ammunition.
Corpses of animals that died in the flood in Ukraine are also found in other countries of the Black Sea region. A cow body has been found on the Bulgarian seashore – the third one recently. Authorities believe they are Ukrainian cows that died in the Kherson region during the flood.
This week, a third cow carcass was pulled out of the sea near Talasakra. The Bulgarian authorities cannot officially confirm the connection between the found animals and the disaster in the Kherson region. Still, they note that all three dead cows did not have unique ear tags to mark all EU cattle.
