(Reuters) – 50 houses in Demydiv are still partially submerged after a dam collapsed and the region was flooded to prevent Russian troops from advancing towards Kyiv. Oleksiy Kuleba, the regional governor, said this late Saturday.

In February 2018, the Ukrainian military destroyed a dam at the Irpin, causing water to surge into the surrounding area and flood homes and fields. However, it prevented Russian tanks reaching the capital.

Kuleba stated that “About 50 houses of Demydiv still remain in flood” in an update on Telegram.

“People understand the situation. “We, on the other hand, try to solve this problem.”

Local media said that the village was evacuated in part after the beginning of the invasion. But, since Moscow began its offensive against east Ukraine, many residents returned to their homes.

The Kremlin called this its “special operation”, to arm Ukraine and defend it against fascists. This is a pretext to land grabs by Kyiv and Western nations.

Lidia Kelly Reporting from Melbourne, Edited by Tom Hogue