Ukrainians weigh order to leave after dam breach, as Russian troops patrol

A general view of a flooded area, after the Nova Kakhovka dam breached, in Kherson region, Ukraine in this picture obtained from social media on June 6, 2023. Courtesy of Oleksandr Vlasov/via REUTERS

(Reuters) - Russian occupation authorities ordered residents of three districts to leave their homes on Tuesday after the huge Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine was breached in the early hours, but some locals said they would stay despite the rising waters.

Residents contacted by Reuters said the mood was tense in the town of Nova Kakhovka, which sits on the Russian-controlled southern bank of the Dnipro River, on the downriver side of the dam.