WASHINGTON — A senior Biden administration official says that U.S. spy satellites detected an explosion at the Kakhovka dam simply earlier than it collapsed, however American analysts nonetheless have no idea who prompted the dam’s destruction or how precisely it occurred.
The official stated that satellites outfitted with infrared sensors detected a warmth signature in step with a serious explosion simply earlier than the dam collapsed, unleashing enormous floodwaters downstream.
American intelligence analysts suspect that Russia was behind the dam’s destruction, the senior administration official stated, talking on the situation of anonymity to debate operational particulars. However he added that U.S. spy companies nonetheless should not have any strong proof about who was accountable.
Seismic information picked up by the NORSAR observatory in Norway additionally supported the speculation there had been massive explosion close to Kakhovka dam on Tuesday at 2:54 a.m. native time, when the construction collapsed. NORSAR stated in an announcement that indicators captured from a station 385 miles away from the dam present clear indications of an explosion.
Engineering and munitions consultants have stated a deliberate explosion contained in the Kakhovka dam, which is managed by Russia, most probably prompted its collapse on Tuesday. They added that structural failure or an assault from exterior the dam had been potential however much less believable explanations.
The administration official didn’t rule out the chance that prior harm to the dam or mounting water strain might need contributed to the collapse, however American officers consider the explosion, whether or not deliberate or unintentional, was the possible set off.
Specialists had cautioned earlier this week that the out there proof was very restricted, however they stated {that a} blast in an enclosed area, with all of its power utilized towards the construction round it, would do essentially the most harm. Even then, they stated, it might require lots of of kilos of explosives, no less than, to breach the dam.
An exterior detonation by a bomb or missile would exert solely a fraction of its drive towards the dam, and would require an explosive many instances bigger to realize the same impact.
Ukraine’s intelligence company, the SBU, says it’s persevering with to assemble proof to assist its declare that Russia destroyed the dam. On Friday, Ukrainian intelligence launched an audio recording, translated into English, that it claimed was between two Russian troopers and was proof that Russian forces orchestrated the destruction of the dam.
One of many audio system on the telephone name says that Ukrainian forces didn’t trigger the destruction. “It was our sabotage group,” the speaker says. “They needed to, type of, scare with this dam. It went not as deliberate, however greater than they deliberate.”
The Ukrainians didn’t present primary particulars that might enable impartial verification of the tape, together with who the individuals had been, why the speaker might need recognized what occurred and why anybody might need been listening to this explicit name.
Artem Dekhtyarenko, press secretary for the SBU, stated in a written message that the decision occurred on Thursday, however that different particulars, such because the audio system’ areas and identities, had been being withheld as a result of “this file is a component of legal proceedings.”
Russian officers have supplied a collection of various explanations for the destruction, together with accusing Ukraine of sabotage, with out providing proof or explaining how Ukraine would have gained entry to the dam.
Marc Santora and Gabriela Sá Pessoa contributed reporting from Kyiv.