'There's nothing in their eyes. They've lost hope': Rescuer reveals horrors of ... trends now
A rescuer on the scene of devastating floods in southern Ukraine following explosions at a major dam and hydroelectric plant says civilians are under threat from dislodged Russian mines.
The catastrophic waters - which have forced tens of thousands of residents from their homes and submerged entire towns - were let loose after the Kakhovka dam over the Dneiper river was damaged by several explosions.
The Ukrainian Interior Ministry this morning told ten villages on the river's right bank, as well as parts of Kherson city downriver, to leave everything and flee their homes.
And Sergey Panashuchuk told of the scene's horror, where locals have no electricity and were forced to leave their pets to drown.
Speaking to MailOnline, he said: 'In Kherson, the city is now flooded and people have no electricity. Around 1,800 people have been evacuated from the Kherson region but of course the numbers are growing.
A local resident with a bike and a dog walks along the street past the buildings in Kherson
Sergey Panashuchuk told of the scene's horror, where locals have no electricity and were forced to leave their pets to drown
Residents of the occupied Kherson region, Ukraine, are trying to rescue domestic pets and cattle from the flood
Rita, 38, together with her cat Kuzia, who was evacuated from flooded a village in Kherson
'People are really concerned about the fate of their pets, like their cats and dogs, which they had to leave behind when they were rescued on boats by rescuers from the state.
'You can see on social media so many people pleading for help for their pets to be saved. They are wanting to get motorboats to save their pets.
'They are terrified. But with some you look into their eyes and there is nothing. They've given up hope.
'They've been shelled every day and now their homes are underwater. And as we evacuated them, we could hear the Russian shelling on the other side of the river.
'Russians were mining the area on the other side of the river to prevent a Ukranian counter-offensive and the floods but this flood made them move and now they are moving uncontrollably.
'There is a real danger of them posing a threat to civilians. In Kherson it's a real problem. They can damage homes, they can kill people.'
Kherson, which had a population of more than 280,000 before the war, was captured by Russia in March 2022, who went on to withdraw eight months later.
Ukrainian authorities have previously warned that the dam's failure could unleash 18million cubic meters (4.8billion gallons) of water and flood Kherson and dozens of other towns and settlements, home to hundreds of thousands of people.
Rescue workers conduct an evacuation operation from the catastrophic floods
Water pictured flowing strongly through a breakthrough in the Kakhovka dam
The Ukrainian Interior Ministry this morning told ten villages on the river's right bank, as well as parts of Kherson city downriver, to leave everything and flee their homes
A dog is carried to safety by a woman through flooded streets
The cause of the blasts is not yet clear, although Ukraine warned late last year that Russian forces had
