Ukrainians flooded the Demydiv to stop Russian tanks.
Ukrainians say they have no regrets after deliberately flooding the village of Demydiv to stop Russian tanks from reaching Kiev.
Just one day after the start of Russian aggression, Ukrainian troops on February 25 opened a nearby dam to flood Demydiv, north of Kiev and surrounding villages.
And satellite images showed flooding in the Irpin River basin, northwest of Kiev.
However, it was not immediately clear who or what caused the flood.
As expected, the idea was to prevent a tank attack in Kiev and give Ukrainian troops there more time to prepare their defense of the city.
The flood created a “lake” in front of approaching Russian convoys and reportedly prevented troops from advancing. The floods also prevented Demydiv from becoming a front line in the war, as the village managed to avoid horrific scenes of mass killings of civilians like those in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kiev.
“Everyone understands and no one has repented,” said local resident Antonina Kostuchenko. “We saved Kiev!”
More than two months later, water and floods remain present in Demydiv – but Kiev is still in Ukrainian hands.
Russian forces failed to capture the capital and withdrew from the region in late March to focus on a renewed offensive in the east of the country.