Oskil Reservoir

The Oskil Reservoir (Ukrainian: Оскільське водосховище; Russian: Оскольское водохранилище, sometimes translated as Oskol, Oskilske -) was an artificial lake on the Oskil River in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. It was formerly known as the Chervony-Oskil Reservoir.

Oskol Reservoir
The village of Yatskivka on the reservoir in 2019
Oskol Reservoir
Location	Kharkiv Oblast
Coordinates	49°17′34″N 37°34′16″E
Type	reservoir
Primary inflows	Oskil River
Primary outflows	Oskil River
Basin countries	Ukraine
Max. length	125 km (78 mi) (before destruction)
Max. width	4 km (2.5 mi) (before destruction)
Surface area	130 km2 (50 sq mi) (before destruction)
Average depth	4 m (13 ft) (before destruction)
Water volume	474 hm3 (384,000 acre⋅ft) (before destruction)

The reservoir was opened in 1958. Before it was drained, the reservoir's area was 130 km², with a maximal length of 125 km, a maximal width of 4 km, an average depth of 4 m and a volume of approximately 474 hm³. The purpose of the reservoir was to regulate water levels, to serve as a source for electricity, and to help the fishing industry.^[1]

Destruction

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the reservoir was noted for its strategic importance, as causing downstream flooding would be one way to slow Russian advances in the Donbas.^[2]

In July 2022, Russian shelling destroyed the reservoir's Oskil Dam, draining its level to one-sixth that of its pre-war size.^[3] The loss of water from the reservoir caused significant environmental damage, including the deaths of millions of fish and other endangered species.^{[1] [3]}

References

1. Kolodezhna, Valeriia; Vasyliuk, Oleksii (2022-06-16). "Should the Oskil Reservoir be rebuilt after the war? – Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work Group". Retrieved 2023-01-22.
2. Nicholas Hildyard; Josh Klemm (8 April 2022). "Weaponising water — Ukraine's dams are targets in Putin's war".
3. Belousova, Katerina (16 November 2022). "The war put the water reservoir of the Kharkiv region on the verge of ecological disaster". ecopolitic. Retrieved 2023-01-22.