The Kakhovka dam and electric plant on the front line in southern Ukraine was destroyed today, sending torrents of water through the breach and forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate.
Russia and Ukraine were quick to blame each other for the disaster, but it was not immediately clear who was responsible. A deliberate internal explosion was most likely the cause, engineering and munitions experts said. Officials in Kyiv said that Moscow’s forces had blown up the Russian-controlled dam in the predawn hours, a day after U.S. officials said it appeared a Ukrainian counteroffensive had begun.
Residents of Antonivka, a town about 40 miles downstream, described watching in horror as roiling floodwaters carried trees and debris from washed-out houses. More than 40,000 people could be in the path of the flooding in both Ukrainian- and Russian-controlled territory, a Ukrainian official said. (Here’s a map.)
“People here are shocked,” said our colleague Marc Santora, who was in southern Ukraine. “They’ve gotten used to all sorts of Russian bombardment, all sorts of horrors, but this is just so much bigger in both magnitude and the repercussions that it is going to have across society.”
The dam supplies water for drinking, agriculture and cooling reactors and spent fuel at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The U.N.’s nuclear watchdog said there was “no immediate nuclear safety risk” at the plant, but that the group was closely monitoring the situation.
The destruction could also dislodge land mines in the region, which will create new hazards as they are washed downstream. Experts were still assessing the full scale of the disaster, and said the flooding was expected to intensify as the waters from the reservoir continue to flow, and then peak in a day or two.
A stunning change in the golf world
For the last year, the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, an insurgent league bankrolled by Saudi Arabia, have been in a bitter rivalry for supremacy in men’s professional golf. Players, fans and sponsors were sharply divided between the classic league and its controversial new rival, which offered tournament prize funds that were the richest in golf history.
Today, in a surprising announcement, the two sides said they had agreed to a merger. Under the terms of the tentative deal, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund will at first be the exclusive investor in the blended operation.
Prince Harry’s first day of testimony
At the High Court in London, Prince Harry — the younger son of King Charles III — took the stand today in his lawsuit against the Mirror newspaper group, and accused the company of hacking his cellphone more than a decade ago.
In his striking, sometimes emotional testimony, Harry declared that “some editors and journalists do have blood on their hands” because of the lengths to which Britain’s tabloids often went to gather news about him; his mother, Princess Diana; and other famous figures. His testimony is to continue tomorrow.
The U.S. is cracking down on cryptocurrency firms
The S.E.C. today sued Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency trading platform in the country, claiming that the company broke securities law by not registering as a broker. The move came just one day after federal regulators sued Binance, the world’s biggest cryptocurrency trading exchange, for mishandling customer funds. The legal actions mark a shift toward enforcement in an industry long characterized by its lack of regulation.
“Regulators have been trying to get their arms around the entire cryptocurrency industry since it was formed more than 10 years ago,” our colleague Emily Flitter said. “It has been even more of a focus since last November,” when the crypto behemoth FTX collapsed.
More top news
Business: The pharmaceutical company Merck sued the government over a law that empowers Medicare to negotiate prices with drugmakers.
Politics: Chris Christie entered the 2024 race for president. The former governor of New Jersey was eclipsed by Donald Trump in the 2016 primaries.
Policing: The Atlanta City Council voted to approve $31 million for a “cop city,” a sprawling police and fire training complex, despite two years of protests.
Climate: The first summer that sees the melting of practically all of the Arctic’s floating sea ice could occur as early as the 2030s, according to a new study.
Courts: The actor Cuba Gooding Jr. settled a lawsuit accusing him of rape.
Media: After publishing a sexual misconduct exposé, journalists in New Hampshire faced broken windows, vulgar graffiti and a legal brawl.
Science: Gene therapy may offer birth control for cats, potentially curbing vast stray feline populations.
EVENING WIND DOWN
L.G.B.T.Q. travelers are venturing where being gay isn’t safe
A romantic island getaway in the Maldives. A safari in Kenya. A visit to the pyramids in Egypt.
Apart from being popular, these trips have one thing in common: They are destinations where strict anti-L.G.B.T.Q. legislation is in place, carrying punishments ranging from lashes to imprisonment.
Paradoxically, these trips are also all offered by travel companies catering to members of the L.G.B.T.Q. community. The companies said they are providing a safe way to meet a growing demand for trips to countries that criminalize L.B.G.T.Q. people.
It’s always America for John Mellencamp
In a conversation with The Times, Mellencamp, now 71, reflected on his decades in music and his new album, “Orpheus Descending,” which will be released on June 16. It takes a scornful look at economic disparity, corruption, gun violence and other aspects of life in America, “this land of plenty, where nothing gets done,” as he sings in a track.
It might be fair to say that the rocker, who amassed a catalog of Billboard Top 40 hits, including “Jack and Diane,” and “Pink Houses,” is always singing about America, regardless of the era.
“It’s always the same song,” he said, “just more mature or with a different angle.”
Dinner table topics
The bike bus: For the school commute, families are taking to the streets with two wheels. Some have termed the movement “kidical mass.”
Hardcore punk: People of color, women and queer musicians are remaking the genre’s longstanding image of white, male aggression.
Fashion’s excess: Despite the lip service paid to reducing the overindulgence of fashion, the last cruise (or resort) season was one of the most mileage-intensive on record.
Tech’s cutting edge: Our columnist got his hands on Apple’s new $3,500 Vision Pro headset. Impressed and creeped out, he wonders: Why do we need these?
WHAT TO DO TONIGHT
Cook: Broccoli salad is a crowd-pleaser and a clever make-ahead side dish.
Read: In the “brutally honest” memoir “Pageboy,” the actor Elliot Page recounts the fears and obstacles to gender transition.
Watch: The documentary “All Man” chronicles the rise and fall of the International Male catalog.
Listen: Scientists are finding more evidence that birdsong parallels human-made music.
Support: When someone you love is upset, ask this question.
Wash: Here’s a guide on how to do laundry.
Don’t wash: Whether you should shampoo your hair every day depends on your lifestyle habits and age.
Play: Today’s Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. For more, find all our games here.
ONE LAST THING
“Your mother” has been used as a zinger for centuries
When the Old Testament’s King Saul declared, “Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman,” he was effectively using the ancient version of the well-known “you S.O.B.” Centuries later, Shakespeare used a similar barb in his tragedy “Titus Andronicus.”
Our colleague Deb Amlen unearthed those tidbits, and many more, in her exploration of the history of insults.
She found that, despite the different time periods and languages, the content of insults hasn’t really evolved: They’re still highly personal barbs about people’s status, appearance, sexual prowess and courage (or lack thereof).
Have an old-fashioned evening.
Thanks for reading. We’ll be back tomorrow. — Matthew and Justin
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