In the southern Ukraine region that is under Russian control, a sizable dam was destroyed, causing a flood.
Russian officials blame the Ukrainians, but the Ukrainian military accuses Russia of blowing up the dam.
Evacuations are in progress because flooding in the area could be catastrophic depending on how much water is released.
What we currently understand is listed below.
The Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant is located in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Nova Kakhovka, which is part of the Kherson region.
It was constructed during the Soviet era and is one of the six dams that line the Dnipro river, which flows from the very north of the nation to the sea in the south.
According to Reuters, it is enormous and can hold as much water as Utah's Great Salt Lake.
Images that are making the rounds on social media this morning depict a significant breach in the dam, with water already gushing across the conflict area and flooding downstream toward Kherson. .
The severity of the flooding is not yet known. However, flooding could be disastrous for nearby communities depending on how big the breach is.
Residents in low-lying areas of the city have been advised to leave as soon as possible and seek shelter on higher ground by the authorities in Kherson, less than 50 miles downstream.
Eight villages have already been fully or completely flooded, according to Oleksandr Prokudin, the region's governor, who spoke to Ukrainian TV this morning. More villages are expected to be flooded.
16,000 people were in what he called a "critical zone," and the authorities, he claimed, were evacuating residents by bus and train.
The cause of the dam breach is not yet known, but Russia is being charged by Ukraine's military with deliberately blowing it up this morning. This makes sense because Moscow might have been concerned that Ukrainian forces would use the bridge over the dam to cross the river and enter Russian-controlled territory as part of a counteroffensive.
The dam was struck by shelling, according to Russian-installed officials, but they claim that only the upper portion of the plant was destroyed.
The BBC has not independently verified either Ukraine's claims or Russia's.
The dam is very significant and has several uses.
It prevents a huge reservoir from filling up, which could affect the water supplies of many communities upstream.
Additionally, it supplies cooling water to the nuclear power plant at Zaporizhzhia, about 100 miles upstream, which depends on the reservoir and is under Russian control.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated that there was no immediate threat to nuclear safety, but it was still keeping an eye on things.
In addition, the dam serves as a crucial conduit for water from the Dnipro to the Russian-occupied Crimea, potentially affecting water supplies there.
A water crisis on the peninsula was brought on by Ukraine's blocking of a channel carrying water from Nova Khakovka following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.
After the full-scale invasion of last year, Russian forces quickly reopened the channel. Dropping water levels, however, could put the channel's water flow in danger once more if there were no dam.
Since the invasion, Russia has launched several attacks on Ukrainian dams, which have resulted in extensive flooding and disrupted power supplies.
