Berlin, 8 June 2023 (dpa/MIA) - People have been killed in the floods caused by the destruction of the Khakovka dam, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, adding that those trying to rescue others were being shot at by Moscow's forces.

"People, animals have died. From the roofs of flooded houses, people see drowned people floating by," he said in an interview with several media outlets.

He slammed the Russian troops on the southern bank of the Dnipro river, saying the occupying forces were shooting at Ukrainians who were trying to rescue people.

Zelensky said he was disappointed that the UN and the Red Cross have so far failed to help his country in the disaster, in comments to outlets including Germany's Die Welt and Bild, and Politico.

They should "be there first to save lives." he said. But, "they are not there!"

After recapturing the area from the Russians, the Ukrainian president called for an international investigation and he said Kiev would invite all international experts to investigate the incident.

Russia is responsible for the disaster, but the Kremlin underestimated the power of the blast that caused it, he said. Moscow wanted to make the liberation of the areas more difficult in this way in anticipation of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, he said.

"They did not think that they would also flood their occupied territories," he added.

Photo: MIA archive