Swimming in water bodies, as well as fishing and selling fish in Kherson Region has been banned, Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the Kherson regional military administration, has said.
"The concentration of harmful substances in water samples is 10 times higher than the permissible limit. At a meeting of the Emergency Response HQ, I gave instructions to ban swimming in water bodies, as well as fishing and selling fish in the region," said Prokudin.
He noted that chemicals and infectious agents from cemeteries and landfills could end up in wells and open water bodies in the flooded areas.
There could be many hazardous substances at the bottom of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station destroyed by the Russians.
Prokudin said only bottled or imported water should be used for drinking or cooking.
The State Environmental Inspectorate recorded an increased content of harmful substances in the Inhulets River. These include ammonium nitrogen, total iron and suspended solids.
Bad weather is expected in Kherson Region, and volunteers were urged to be careful. Thunderstorms and hail are expected in the region from 11 to 13 June.