President Volodymyr Zelensky has travelled to the region of southern Ukraine flooded after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam to observe ongoing evacuations, he announced on Telegram on Thursday.
Masses of water were continuing to flow out of the reservoir behind the Kakhovka dam that was destroyed in the early hours of Tuesday in the embattled region of Kherson.
The water level in the lake had dropped by one metre within 24 hours and stood at 13.05 metres as of Thursday morning, the state-owned hydroelectric power plant operator Ukrhydroenergo announced in Kiev.
Meanwhile, the actual structure of the dam is suffering more and more damage.
According to Ukrainian figures, 600 square kilometres is currently under water, 32 per cent of it in Kiev-controlled territory and 68 per cent in Moscow-occupied territory.
Tens of thousands of people were being evacuated from the flooded area. (dpa/NAN)