Water runs through a gap in the Nova Kakhovka dam in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine's Kherson region on June 6, 2023Zelenskyy Social Media Account / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images The Kakhovka dam was already damaged days before it collapsed on Tuesday, per the BBC and CNN. Satellite photos published by the BBC show that part of a roadway went missing between Thursday and Friday. It's unclear who inflicted the damage to the roadway, or if it affected the eventual breach. Satellite images of the Kakhovka dam appear to show that it had already sustained structural damage days before it was destroyed on Tuesday.