The Kakhovka reservoir in southern Ukraine is at risk of flooding after water levels reached a 30-year high. The reservoir, which supplies drinking water to the region, is controlled by Russian forces and has been a point of tension throughout the war. A satellite image captured on May 3 showed water cresting over the top of the Kakhovka dam. The sudden increase in levels appears to be due to Russian forces keeping too few gates open to control the flow of winter snowmelt and spring rains. Ukrainian officials have raised concerns about a lack of water for drinking, agriculture and the cooling of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant nearby. The situation is a dramatic turnabout after the reservoir had reached a historic low only a few months ago.
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