Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has visited areas flooded after a dam collapsed in southern Ukraine. He discussed ways to respond to the situation with local authorities.

The Kakhovka hydroelectric power-generating dam on the Dnipro River in the southern region of Kherson collapsed on Tuesday, releasing massive amounts of water. Flooding has engulfed many communities.

In his social media post on Thursday, Zelenskyy said that he visited the region of Kherson, and held a conference with local authorities to evaluate the damage by the flooding, and to exchange views on people's evacuations and support for their daily lives, as well as future military operations.

Zelenskyy also posted video footage of his visit to the flooded areas.

A US think tank, the Institute for the Study of War, on Wednesday released a report saying, "The destruction of the KHPP dam is affecting Russian military positions on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River. The flooding has destroyed many Russian first line field fortifications that the Russian military intended to use to defend against Ukrainian attacks."

It says, "The flood also destroyed Russian minefields along the coast."

The report also says, "Russian forces and occupation authorities are responding to the flooding in Kherson Oblast with a great degree of disorganization and thereby exacerbating harm to the civilian population of occupied areas."

The British Defence Ministry said on Thursday, "Amidst a highly complex operational picture, heavy fighting continues along multiple sectors of the front. In most areas Ukraine holds the initiative." The remark suggests that the counteroffensive of the Ukrainian forces has been intensifying.

A senior pro-Russian official made an announcement on Thursday about fighting in some areas, including Tokmak about 60 kilometers from Melitopol in the southern Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhia. The official said that the Ukrainian side conducted night attacks on an unprecedented scale.