The destruction of the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine, currently under Russian control, was caused by an internal explosion triggered by Russia, according to an investigation by the New York Times. 

Citing engineers and explosives experts, the newspaper said on Friday that its investigation had gathered evidence pointing to an explosive charge, placed in a passage through the dam's concrete base, as the cause of the structure's destruction on June 6.

Based on interviews with engineers and explosives experts, the Times reported that the evidence clearly points to a Russian-initiated explosion. 

Meanwhile, an international team of legal experts, assisting Ukrainian prosecutors in their investigation, stated in its preliminary conclusions on Friday that it was "highly probable" that the disaster in the Kherson region of Ukraine was caused by Russian-installed explosives.

For its part, the Kremlin accuses Kyiv of sabotaging the hydroelectric dam, which contained a reservoir the size of the Great Salt Lake in the U.S., in order to cut off an essential source of water for Crimea and divert attention from a "faltering" counter-offensive against Russian forces.

Ukraine, on the other hand, blames Russia for the explosion of this Soviet dam, which has been under Russian control since the start of the invasion in 2022. The consequences of the explosion were catastrophic, causing widespread flooding on the battlefield, devastating farmland and cutting off water supplies to civilians.

According to engineers quoted by the Times, a full analysis of the dam, once the water has been drained, will determine the exact sequence of events that led to its destruction. "If the dam had been poorly designed or the concrete substandard, erosion caused by water pouring through the gates could have caused a rupture, but engineers consider this unlikely," the newspaper added.