Hola Prystan Becomes a Ghost Town After Kakhovka Dam Disaster and Occupation
Hola Prystan in Kherson Oblast has become a ghost town with a drastically reduced population following the Russian occupation and the catastrophic flooding caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam.
By Vanessa Lopez ·
The city of Hola Prystan in Kherson Oblast, which is currently under temporary Russian occupation, has deteriorated into a largely deserted settlement. Recent video footage released by the local city military administration reveals the stark reality on the ground, showing streets that were once bustling but are now nearly empty. The visual evidence highlights the extensive damage to the urban landscape, with many buildings reduced to ruins and residential fences toppled.
The population of the area has undergone a dramatic decline since the start of the conflict. Before Russia launched its full-scale invasion, the hromada, which is an administrative unit encompassing the town and adjacent territories, was home to approximately 34,400 people. Today, that number has fallen to roughly 6,000 individuals. Within the city limits of Hola Prystan itself, only about 1,600 residents remain, and the number of children living in the area has dropped to just 45.
Russian forces took control of the hromada in late February 2022 during their advance from the temporarily occupied Crimea. The local population did not accept the occupation quietly; residents regularly organized large-scale protests, carrying blue-and-yellow flags to demonstrate their Ukrainian identity. This resistance drew the attention of the occupiers, who targeted local leadership.
Oleksandr Babych, the legally elected mayor of Hola Prystan, was seized by armed Russian troops on March 28, 2022. His abduction was attributed to his openly pro-Ukrainian stance during the early days of the occupation. According to available information, Babych remains in Russian captivity to this day.
The most devastating event for the city occurred on June 6, 2023. Russian forces detonated sections of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant dam, triggering a massive release of water. The geographical layout of the region played a critical role in the severity of the flood, as the left bank of the Dnipro River, where Hola Prystan is located, sits significantly lower than the right bank.
The resulting surge almost completely submerged the city. At the peak of the flooding, water levels reached a height of four metres. The disaster turned many residential areas into a watery maze, isolating families in their upper floors and rooftops.
The occupation authorities reportedly left civilians stranded on their rooftops during the crisis. Ukrainian volunteers attempting to reach the flooded homes were prevented from accessing the area by Russian forces. Consequently, a large proportion of houses in the city became uninhabitable due to the water damage and subsequent structural failures.
The human cost of the disaster remains difficult to quantify. The actual death toll is still unknown because the bodies of many local residents remained trapped beneath the rubble of homes that were washed away by the floodwaters. This uncertainty adds to the somber mood of a city that is now characterized by its silence and the visible scars of both war and natural catastrophe.
The current state of Hola Prystan serves as a stark reminder of the combined impact of military occupation and infrastructure destruction. The transformation from a lively community of over thirty thousand to a ghost town with only a few thousand inhabitants underscores the profound changes that have occurred in the region over the last several years.
