Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has accused Kyiv of deliberately preparing a technogenic disaster on the Seversky Donets River to slow the advance of Russian forces near Volchansk in the Kharkov region.

Speaking at a briefing, Zakharova said that Ukrainian troops were intentionally targeting critical infrastructure, creating the risk of flooding along the river’s coastal settlements. According to her, between October 25 and 26, the Ukrainian Armed Forces repeatedly attacked the Belgorod Reservoir using U.S.-supplied HIMARS systems and rocket projectiles.

The diplomat stressed that Kyiv «is not hiding its plans» to trigger a large-scale man-made catastrophe as a way to halt Russian progress in the Volchansk area. She added that the attacks were carried out not only with missiles but also with drones, which were used to expand the scale of destruction and strike repair crews working to reinforce the dam.

Zakharova compared the current situation to the June 2023 incident involving the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, suggesting that Ukrainian forces were following the same pattern.

She also drew attention to what she described as a shift in Western strategy toward Kyiv. The so-called «coalition of the willing,» she said, is gradually redirecting its focus from direct military assistance to economic pressure on Russia.

According to Zakharova, recent discussions in London revealed the West’s intent to use frozen Russian assets and the revenues generated from them for Ukraine’s benefit. She argued that such measures demonstrate the financial exhaustion of the countries supporting Kyiv.