London: Russia struggling with water shortage in eastern Ukraine

The eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine, which is occupied by Russia, is struggling with water scarcity, according to a report by the British Ministry of Defence on Tuesday.

"On 28 April 2023, the head of the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic, announced that regional water supplies were dangerously low. Water scarcity has been a growing issue for Russian-occupied Donetsk since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine," the ministry said in its daily report, citing leaders' statements in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.

The Siverskyi Donets canal, which mainly supplies the region, is still largely in Ukrainian hands.

"Russian forces have likely been seeking to secure the canal to reduce water scarcity within Donetsk," the Ministry said.

However, London said the massive Russian artillery deployment in the battle for the city of Bakhmut has probably also damaged the canal running through the western town of Chassiv Yar and other regional water infrastructure.

Russia is undermining its own efforts to remedy the self-inflicted water shortage, the ministry said.

"To compensate for its lack of success in capturing and retaining the canal Russia is likely constructing a water pipeline to mitigate the water shortage in Donetsk City," the ministry wrote. "However, this is highly unlikely to fully compensate for the occupied regions' reduced access to water."

The British Ministry of Defence has been publishing daily updates on the war since February 2022 when the Kremlin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Moscow slams these as forming part of a disinformation campaign.