locals as the kakhovka sea, provided drinking water, and as the author of a un report on the dam, monika tothovater for crops. kakhovka dam was part of the dnipro cascade of hydroelectric plants and it was an important source of waterfor arid regions in the southern part of ukraine. so, it provided drinking water for the population, it provided a source of irrigation water for the summer, and allowed these steppes, which were previously dry, to be used for agricultural production. ukraine blamed russia for the disaster, saying it was to sabotage the ukrainian offensive. russia denied responsibility and claimed it was ukraine's fault. three days after the incident, new evidence emerged. seismic readings that were detected around 400 miles away in romania indicate that this was a very, very large explosion. but it is clear that that explosion, which they identify within a less than 20—mile radius of the dam at nova kakhovka, was a very, very large explosion. we're probably talking about tons of explosives. a us newspaper, the new york times, conducted its own investigation, citing engineers and ot