At least 62 people dead after floods unleashed by Kherson dam breach

At least 62 people died in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson after the breach of the Kakhovka dam some two weeks ago, the latest figures show.

The Russian occupation authorities in the area said 41 people had died in the Russian-occupied southern bank of the Dnipro River, in a statement on Telegram. The Ukrainian authorities said at least 21 died on the other side of the river.

However, the true death toll is likely to be far higher.

According to Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, five of the 21 people were killed by Russian shelling. Another 28 people were injured.

His statement comes a day after an aid worker was killed by Russian shelling in the Kherson area, according to Kiev and the United Nations.

Since the Russian-occupied towns have been particularly hard hit by the floods, it is feared that many more people have died there than is currently known.

The Ukrainian military suspects more than 500 dead in the occupied village of Oleshky, saying that the Russian army only evacuated people with Russian passports.

The statements of the warring parties often cannot be independently verified. However, while international aid organisations such as the UN are working in the Ukrainian-controlled flood zone, the areas occupied by Russia are difficult to access for aid workers and international observers.