In the temporarily occupied Mariupol, the situation with water supply is worsening. The Old Crimean Reservoir, which is used to supply the city with water, is rapidly flowing. This was reported by Petro Andryushchenko, adviser to the mayor of Mariupol.
According to Andryushchenko, the problem started in 2023, but from August 2024, the shallowing process became critically fast. The Old Crimea reservoir, which was a reserve source, became the main one after the occupation of the city.
The main reasons:
- Ruined infrastructure : Water supply from the Siverskyi Donets canal has stopped.
- Increased load : The mass migration of Russians to the city has significantly increased water consumption.
- Incompetence of the occupation authorities : Lack of adequate management of the situation.
According to the observations of local residents, the water level in the reservoir dropped by 4-5 meters only in the fall. At the same time, the occupation administration ignores the problem and does not take any measures to solve it.
A similar crisis is observed in occupied Berdyansk. The water level in the Berdyansky Reservoir has been decreasing since September. According to the official data of the occupiers, as of the end of October, the depth of the reservoir was 18.2 meters, but local residents report an even greater drop in the water level.
Back in 2023, Pavlo Zhebrivskyi, the president of the military-civilian union "Military Brotherhood of Ukraine", warned that Mariupol could be left without drinking water. He noted that without access to a key source of water, the Siverskyi Donets, the city depends on small reservoirs that are quickly depleting.
