RUSSIAN forces have allegedly struck a dam in one of Ukraine's biggest cities, forcing residents to leave their flooded homes.
Dramatic video from the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, home to almost 650,000 people, shows fast-moving swollen rivers and deluged streets.
Ukraine's military says that Putin's forces launched eight deadly cruise missiles at the city overnight, which is the birthplace of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukrainian legislator Inna Sovson tweeted: "The water pumping station was destroyed. The river broke through the dam and overflowed its banks.
"Residential buildings are just a few metres away from the river."
The strikes caused "extensive flooding" in parts of the city after the river rose an estimated 2.5 metres.
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The Ukrainian president's deputy head, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, wrote on the messaging app Telegram: "Today Kryvyi Rih has been struck, according to the preliminary data, with eight Russian cruise missiles.
"It is a terrorist attack on our people, on a specific city. The missiles targeted the structures, which are critically important to people," he went on.
President Zelensky, speaking after the attack on the Karachunivske reservoir in his home city, branded Russia a "terrorist state".
In his late-night video message on Wednesday, he addressed the Russian people as he wrote: "You are weaklings who fight civilians. Scoundrels who, having escaped from the battlefield, are trying to do harm from somewhere far away."
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He said that "everything is being done to eliminate the consequences of yet another vile Russian act".
President Zelensky was involved in a car crash just hours after his address.
The Ukrainian President was travelling through Kyiv when the vehicle he was in was struck by another car.
His press secretary Sergii Nykyforov said the heroic leader was not seriously injured in the smash.
You [Russia] are weaklings who fight civilians
Water from the overflowing reservoir is now making its way downstream towards Kherson, where Ukrainian troops have set up pontoon bridges as part of their bid to reclaim the city.
"Russian forces likely targeted the Karachun Dam to damage Ukrainian pontoon bridges further downstream," the Institute for the Study of War think tank reported.
Wednesday's attack comes "in light of recent reports that Ukrainian troops are attempting to expand their bridgehead over the Inhulets River near Davydiv Brid as part of the ongoing Kherson counteroffensive," it added.
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The attack affected water supplies in the city after two blasts caused the Karachun dam to burst and overflow the Inhulets river.
City head Oleksandr Vilkul said residents had been told to evacuate in some areas but stressed that the situation was under control.
He added that there were no casualties.
Moscow has not commented publicly on the reported missile strikes.
Russian forces have previously attacked Ukrainian civilian infrastructure as part of its vicious war against the country.
It comes amid a reported Russian collapse in many parts of southern and eastern Ukraine.
Russian forces yesterday pulled out from Melitopol in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region and headed toward Moscow-annexed Crimea in a humiliating blow for Kremlin.
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Ukraine is reportedly handing out "surrender cards" to Russian troops with advice on how to leave the country alive.
The cards feature a message in Russian for Vlad's invading forces, as well as a QR code on the back with links to further information on how soldiers can surrender to Ukraine.
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