Ukraine has accused Russia of destroying a hydroelectric power-generating dam in the country's south. It says residents downstream have been forced to evacuate.

The Ukrainian military announced on Tuesday that Russia's forces destroyed the Kakhovka Dam on the Dnipro River in the southern region of Kherson.

A local governor says large amounts of water are flowing downstream. He also says residents are being evacuated.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted a video on social media. In the clip, water can be seen gushing out of the dam.

Zelenskyy convened a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council. He also described the Russians as terrorists that must be driven out of Ukraine's territory.

Meanwhile, a senior Russian official in the region blamed the Ukrainian side. The individual told Russia's state-run news agency that the dam was destroyed by shelling. The official added that the Russians are preparing for the worst.

Reuters news agency says the roughly 30-meter-high dam was built in 1956 and has been used mainly to generate hydroelectric power.

The dam reportedly supplies water to Crimea, which Russia unilaterally annexed in 2014, and cooling water to the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

The International Atomic Energy Agency posted a message on Twitter on Tuesday. It said it is aware of reports of damage at Ukraine's Kakhovka Dam, and that IAEA experts at Zaporizhzhia are closely monitoring the situation.

The agency says there is "no immediate nuclear safety risk" at the plant.