Hydrologist: It is impossible to destroy the Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant with rockets.
Hydrologist Viktor Vyshevsky stated that the Kyiv HPP is a robust structure and cannot be destroyed by missile strikes. He cited examples of the Dnipro HPP being undermined in 1941 and the Kakhovka HPP in 2023, noting that even in these cases, the damage was partial. According to him, residents of the capital should not worry about flooding, as the water level in the reservoir is significantly higher than the level of development.
Hydrologist, Doctor of Geographical Sciences, Viktor Vishnevsky, believes that it is unrealistic to destroy the Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant with missile strikes.
According to the scientist, the Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant is an extremely robust structure. Its dam stretches for 42 kilometers, the dam's height is 30 meters, and the foundation is approximately 100 meters. Even if a rocket carries 500–700 kilograms of explosives, this cannot be compared to the powerful internal explosions.
As an example, Vyshensky cited the demolition of the Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Plant in 1941 with 20 tons of explosives, which only damaged a quarter of the concrete dam, as well as the demolition of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant by occupying forces in 2023, which was carried out directly from within the structure.
The difference in water level between the Kyiv reservoir and the Dnipro River near Kyiv is 11.5 meters, while the lowest points of residential buildings on the Olena and Podil districts are 100-101 meters. Therefore, according to an expert, residents of the capital should not worry about flooding, as in the worst-case scenario, they will only see a slight rise in water level, comparable to a typical high water mark.
Meanwhile, the hydrologist noted that Russian troops are well aware of the technical specifications of Soviet hydroelectric facilities and are deliberately targeting vulnerable points – the electrical equipment of hydroelectric power plants, as has already been the case at Dnipro HPP and Kremenchuk HPP. However, attempts to completely destroy the dam of the Kyiv HPP are unrealistic.