CONTEXT
Nikopol is a city in the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, the fourth largest city in the oblast with a population of 105,160 people at the start of 2022. In February 2023, city authorities estimated the population to be “50%” of that figure due to displacement caused by hostilities. It is situated on the right bank of the Dnieper river, with the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation situated on the left.3 The city has an industrial economy, including the manufacture of steel and pipe.
Nikopol has been intensely affected by the conflict. Regular artillery and drone attacks continue to damage residential areas, public infrastructure, and industries, affecting the local economy. REACH’s Damage Impact Analysis found that economic activity was perceived to be highly impacted by damage, with a contraction in the jobs market. In the ACAPS “Civilian Infrastructure Damages Dataset”, around 75% of the identified damaged objects are economic. As well as facing bombardment, the city has been affected by the breach of the Kakhovka Dam in June 2023, causing the water level in the Kakhovka reservoir near the city to empty.
In December 2023, Mayor Oleksandr Sayuk reported almost 5000 damaged structures in Nikopol.ACLED (the Armed Conflict Location and Event Database) reported attacks on 244 days throughout 2023.10 Already by 30 April 2024, there were reports of incidents on 113 days (or more than nine in every ten days).