U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the statement below following the destruction of the Nova Kakhova dam in Ukraine.

“Deliberately attacking civilian infrastructure, as such, would be a war crime, plain and simple. If it’s found that Russia did indeed purposefully target and destroy the Kakhovka dam, those responsible must be held to account.

“While Russia has denied its own involvement in this wanton act of violence, we should remember that Russia has lied about virtually every one of the thousands of crimes it has committed in Ukraine – including systematic and deliberate targeting of civilians, and civilian infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, bomb shelters, and energy assets.  An attack on Kakhovka Dam, and even the deliberate negligence leading to the failure of the dam, would be consistent with Putin’s playbook.  “This event has already displaced thousands of civilians, caused severe agricultural and environmental damage, and permanently taken critical power supplies offline. It would represent yet another clear example of the devastating impact of Russia’s unprovoked, illegal war on the Ukrainian people.

“I call on all of Ukraine’s partners to support an emergency response that would include immediate maintenance and restoration, and urge Russia to provide immediate access to allow this.”

Original source can be found here.