Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday visited the southern Kherson region devastated by the Kakhovka dam collapse as the first deaths were reported amid warnings of landmines swept out of position by floodwaters.

The operational situation, including evacuating residents from areas that could be the next to flood, getting critical support to people in areas already underwater, repairing ecosystem damage and the military situation were among the issues the president discussed with officials, according to a post on his Telegram account.

“It is important to calculate the damage and allocate funds to compensate residents affected by the disaster and develop a program to compensate for losses or relocate businesses within the Kherson region,” Zelensky added.

The first reports of deaths from both sides Thursday, suggest at least eight people have been killed. The exiled mayor of Russian-occupied Oleshky said three people had drowned, the Kyiv Independent reported. The Russian state-run RIA news agency reported that five had drowned in Nova Kakhovka, adjacent to the dam.

Kherson region.
From the Government and the State Emergency Service to the regional authorities and local communities, everyone is involved to the maximum extent possible to save and protect as many people as possible.
And I thank everyone who saves and helps! Let’s take care of… pic.twitter.com/TwK0uI14nm

— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 8, 2023