Kakhovka HPP's reconstruction to need about 200 billion rubles - acting Kherson region head

ST. PETERSBURG. June 14 (Interfax) - The reconstruction of the Kakhovka Hydropower Plant (HPP) will need about 200 billion rubles and take from a year and a half to two years, however, it will be possible to begin it only after the cessation of hostilities, Vladimir Saldo, acting Kherson region governor, said.

"According to expert evaluations, the reconstruction of the HPP will need about 200 billion rubles," Saldo told reporters on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

"The reconstruction will take from a year and a half to two years, but they can begin only after the cessation of hostilities, it's not possible to work under fire, as you can see," he said.

"The extent of environmental damage is unmeasurable at present," Saldo said.

The acting governor also pointed out that 17 people are still considered missing after the collapse of the Kakhovka HPP. "The injured people with grave consequences are in hospitals, there are about 15 of them," Saldo said.

The ecological and humanitarian situation, which developed after the destruction of the power plant, is tense, he said.