The voice of propaganda in the USA is returning. Fact-check of the first episode of the Tucker Carlson show

First, the Russian government did not build the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant. The station was constructed between 1950 and 1955 by the collective of the Soviet enterprise “Dniprobud”. Everything that was once Soviet is not automatically Russian.

Second, the Russians seized the Kakhovka HPP on February 24, 2022, taking the staff hostage and blowing up structures of the North Crimean Canal. They used the station as a military facility and intentionally released water from the reservoir. The gradual decrease in water levels leads to a loss of access to drinking water and the impairment of the cooling systems of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. During their retreat in the autumn of 2022, the Russians mined the station and also destroyed certain sections of the dam and the sluices.

Tucker Carlson is trying to convince viewers that it is more beneficial for Ukraine to destroy the Kakhovka HPP than for Russia. However, the destruction of the dam has catastrophic consequences for the Ukrainian side:

• As a result of the blowing up of the Kakhovka HPP, approximately 600 square kilometers in the Kherson region have been flooded. The average water level reaches 5.6 meters. This led to the evacuation of nearly 2,412 people.
• 32 settlements have already been flooded, with at least 16,000 people in the critical zone.
• The internal explosion of the powerhouse completely destroyed the Kakhovka HPP. The station cannot be restored. The cost of building a new hydroelectric power plant ranges from $800 million to $1 billion.
• The fish industry incurred losses of 4 billion UAH due to the death of adult specimens alone, and there are losses of 10.5 billion UAH for all bioresources.
• The destruction of the dam could create a desert in southern Ukraine. It has also led to problems with the water supply for populated areas and left 94% of irrigation systems in the Kherson region, 74% in the Zaporizhzhia region, and 30% in the Dnipropetrovsk region without a water source.

Therefore, considering these consequences, it is not advantageous for Ukraine to destroy the Kakhovka HPP. The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense had previously reported on Russian plans to sabotage the dam long before the catastrophe. According to The New York Times, US intelligence suspects Russia of being responsible for the dam’s destruction, but at present, the US does not have sufficient information about it. The version that the dam was destroyed after “Ukrainian shelling” can be completely dismissed. Powerful internal explosions are required for such destruction.

The edited recording of the conversation was first published on the Telegram channel of the President of Ukraine, after which the video started to be shared in the media and social networks. In reality, the phrases about dead Russians and money well spent are not related. In the original video, which was published by the head of the Reuters bureau in Russia and the CIS countries, Senator Graham, in response to the Ukrainian President’s gratitude for the support of the United States, replied that it was the best money spent ever. And the words about dead Russians were said separately. The politician recalled the times when Americans fought for freedom with the principle of “being free or dying”. The President of Ukraine replied that now Americans are free, and Ukrainians will be too. “And Russians are dying“, Graham said. And Zelenskyi replied, “Yes, but they came to our territory. We are not fighting on their territory“.

To identify areas with the highest risks of violations and abuses, the Ukraine Oversight Interagency Working Group was established, consisting of the offices of three inspectors general. It includes representatives from the U.S. Department of Defense, the State Department, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The USAID website also requests timely and transparent reporting of actions that negatively impact the support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.

At various times, U.S. representatives have conducted inspections and verified the use of military aid in Ukraine. They have not found evidence of the misappropriation of American assistance. For instance, on November 3, 2022, the Pentagon spokesperson and Brigadier General Patrick Ryder stated that numerous inspections on the supply of American military aid were conducted in Ukraine, and no evidence of diversion of U.S. military assistance was found. On February 28, 2023, the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Defense, Robert Storch, also stated that the U.S. did not identify any violations in the use of American military assistance. On March 30, 2023, during a hearing in the U.S. Congress, inspectors from the U.S. government mentioned that they did not find significant violations related to the use of U.S. assistance to Ukraine.

If Carlson has no idea where the support funds are going, it is well-documented in open sources: the U.S. provides military support (military training, arms supplies, intelligence data), economic support (budgetary assistance), and humanitarian aid (food, medicine, refugee support) to Ukraine.

Almost every information attack against Ukraine is accompanied by the call to “stop supporting Ukraine!”. However, Russian aggression is not limited to Ukraine; its course directly affects the interests of the United States. And it’s the Americans themselves who acknowledge this.

For example, on March 7, 2023, John Kirby, the Coordinator of the White House National Security Council, explained why it is important for the United States to support Ukraine and help it win the war. The Russian invasion has impacted the global economy, causing food and energy crises, which, in turn, have also affected the American economy. Additionally, if Putin achieves his goal and captures Ukraine, he won’t stop there. Russia will pose a threat to U.S. allies and partners in Europe, further increasing challenges for the United States.

In his article “This is the ‘America First’ case for supporting Ukraine” for The Washington Post on May 30, 2023, columnist Marc Thiessen also pointed out the reasons why the United States should support Ukraine. He states that a Russian victory will embolden America’s enemies from the Middle East to East Asia. Supporting Ukraine restrains China: Ukraine’s loss will undermine confidence in defending Taiwan, bringing China’s invasion of the island closer. Conversely, a Russian defeat will weaken Russo-Chinese relations, which have recently strengthened.

Thiessen is convinced that supporting Ukraine saves U.S. finances and preserves the lives of American military personnel who won’t have to personally engage in war with Russia. Russia has already threatened Poland and the Baltic countries, which are NATO members. If Ukraine falls, the United States will have to defend its allies on its own. Whereas supporting Ukraine allows for testing new technology, weaponry, tactics, and strategies that can be used in the future.

The money allocated by Congress for arming Ukraine is not spent in Ukraine. It primarily benefits Americans — either by replacing armaments sent to Ukraine from U.S. stocks or by manufacturing new ones. This creates new job opportunities in the United States and helps revitalize the military-industrial base.

Furthermore, Ukraine’s victory will help prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. In 1996, Ukraine relinquished its nuclear status. In return, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Russia guaranteed Ukraine security and assistance in case of aggression. However, Russia has not fulfilled its obligations, making it crucial for the United States and the United Kingdom to fulfill theirs. Otherwise, countries around the world will conclude that they need to develop their own nuclear weapons to protect their borders. Nuclear non-proliferation will come to an end, and the number of nuclear-armed states in the world will increase. Thiessen believes that “giving in to Putin is far more likely to bring on World War III than standing up to him“.