Many areas were inundated due to the breaking of the dam.

The White House said in a statement on Tuesday that the destruction of a large dam following an explosion in Ukraine could potentially lead to many deaths. He also said that there is currently no concrete evidence to say who was behind this act. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, "The United States cannot say with certainty what happened at this time."

Moscow and Kiev have accused each other of breaking the Kakhovka dam. Kiev said it was an attempt by Russia to disrupt the long-awaited invasion of Ukraine. Russia seized the dam in southern Ukraine soon after it invaded Ukraine last year.

Floods resulting from the dam breach flooded a small town and two dozen villages, forcing the evacuation of 17,000 people.

Kirby said there was "significant" damage and said an "explosion" was responsible. However, he was careful that Washington was still studying the incident before identifying the culprit.

He said the US "has not reached a final conclusion", adding that "we are still trying to gather information and talk to the Ukrainians".

Asked if attacking the dam would be a war crime, Kirby said: "It's clear that the laws of war do not allow the deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure."

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