Ukrainian strikes cut power for invading Russians
Ukrainian strikes have triggered power cuts over huge swathes of Russian-controlled territory, plunging hundreds of thousands of people into darkness.
The attacks, which came after an unsuccessful second round of peace talks in Istanbul, have left entire towns and cities without electricity in the partially-occupied Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
Officials said there was no effect on operations at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest nuclear station, and that radiation levels were normal.
Russian-installed governors in the two regions – which are among the key areas that Moscow demands Ukraine give up in order to end the war - said authorities to introduce emergency measures to preserve power sources.
Meanwhile, Russia's overnight aerial attacks killed one person in Ukraine's northeast and injured several more in the northern city of Chernihiv.
It comes after Moscow and Kyiv agreed to swap thousands of their dead and seriously wounded troops, but made scant progress towards a peace settlement. Ukraine proposed further talks later this month.
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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Ukraine war briefing: Don't be weak, Zelenskyy tells allies, after Putin threats
Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged allies on Wednesday not to show 'weakness' to Vladimir Putin, after the Russian leader threatened retaliation against recent Ukrainian strikes in a call with Donald Trump. 'If the world reacts weakly to Putin's threats, he sees that as a willingness to turn a blind eye to his actions,' Ukraine's president said. 'When he feels neither strength nor pressure, but weakness, he commits yet more crimes.' Ukrainian drone attacks hit the power grid in Russian-held parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, cutting electricity to tens of thousands of residents, Russia-installed officials said early on Thursday. Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian-held parts of the two regions cut power to about 700,000 people earlier in the week. Russian drones struck apartment buildings in Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, triggering fires and injuring at least nine people, the city's mayor said early on Thursday. Unnamed US officials have claimed to the Reuters news agency that Ukraine's drone attack over the weekend hit an estimated 20 Russian warplanes and destroyed about 10 of them. They described the attack as highly significant. Ukraine says its 'Operation Spiderweb' – which used drones hidden on board trucks – targeted four airbases across Russia with 117 UAVS carrying bombs, hitting 41 Russian aircraft, around half of them beyond repair. Ukraine's SBU spy agency said it caused $7bn worth of damage and 34% of the strategic cruise missile carriers at Russia's main airfields were hit. More satellite photos analysed by the Associated Press on Wednesday showed seven destroyed bombers on the tarmac at Belaya airbase in eastern Siberia – one of the targets for the Ukrainian drones. The photos provided by Planet Labs PBC showed aircraft wreckage and scorched areas at the major long-range bomber base. In the images, at least three Tu-95 bombers and four Tu-22Ms appeared to be destroyed, the Associated Press assessed. Russian forces on Wednesday advanced further into Ukraine's northern region of Sumy, according to Russian officials and Ukrainian open source mapping. The authoritative Deep State map showed Russia with control over 154.4 sq km (60 sq miles) of Sumy and attacking it from different directions. Russia's defence ministry said its troops had taken the settlement of Kindrativka and were now 25-30 km (15-20 miles) from the city of Sumy, within artillery and drone range. Boris Pistorius said Germany would kick off a new initiative to find more air defences for Ukraine. The German defence minister added that they were lobbying the US and other countries for more donations of Patriot and similar air defence systems. The Netherlands said that despite the government's collapse one day earlier it would continue business as usual in foreign and security policy, including pledging a maritime support package for Ukraine worth €400m. Ukraine's allies said they were willing to pay for defence manufacturing by Ukrainian companies in allied countries, Kyiv's defence minister, Rustem Umerov, said on Wednesday after meeting his western counterparts at the Ukraine defence contact group in Brussels. Six men are on trial over an arson attack which prosecutors say was carried out on behalf of Russia's Wagner mercenary group against a business in London that shipped goods to Ukraine. Four of the group are accused of aggravated arson. Two others face charges of failing to disclose information about terrorist acts. They deny the charges. The European Commission has said more than four million Ukrainians living in the EU should have their right to stay extended until March 2027, while calling for efforts to promote voluntary returns to their home country. Jennifer Rankin writes from Brussels that while calling for the extension, the commission urged EU governments to think beyond the temporary fix by making it easier for Ukrainians to obtain other types of residence permits, such as work and student visas. It said governments should set up programmes to promote voluntary returns to Ukraine, including by supporting exploratory visits. Ukraine has discussed with the United States how to make a minerals fund operational by the end of the year and the fund's first meeting is expected in July, Yulia Svyrydenko said in Washington on Wednesday. Svyrydenko is Ukrainian first deputy prime minister and economy minister. Pope Leo urged Russia to take steps towards ending the conflict in Ukraine when he spoke to Vladimir Putin for the first time, the Vatican said on Wednesday. 'The pope made an appeal for Russia to make a gesture that favours peace, emphasising the importance of dialogue for achieving positive contacts between the parties and seeking solutions to the conflict,' the Vatican said.
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Ukraine and U.S. discuss how to make minerals fund operational by year-end
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Sky News
2 hours ago
- Sky News
Why Putin is in 'victim mode' over Ukraine's airbase drone attack
Why you can trust Sky News It's only been ten days since Donald Trump called Vladimir Putin crazy following a series of Russian attacks on Ukraine. But now the attacks have been flowing in the opposite direction, it feels like the Russian president has seen an opportunity to win back Washington's affections. It involves playing the victim. The Kremlin, for example, said the leaders' call was focussed on Ukrainian attacks "on Russian civilians". 3:55 And before it, Putin accused Ukraine's leadership of being a "terrorist organisation", in his first comments since the spate of assaults began. He was referring to Saturday's bombing of a highway bridge in the Bryansk region, which left seven dead and dozens injured after part of a passenger train was crushed. No one has claimed responsibility but Russia blames Ukraine. "The current Kyiv regime does not need peace at all," said President Putin. "What is there to talk about? How can we negotiate with those who rely on terror?" It's exactly what Ukraine has been saying about Russia for the last three years, but there was no mention of that. The Kremlin is in full-on victim mode. 54:37 The aim, I think, is to turn the tables on Ukraine, cast itself as the injured party and make Donald Trump believe that Russia has a right to respond to the drone attack on its long-range bombers. The tactic may well have worked. "President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields," Trump wrote on social media after the call. Did he try to talk Putin out of responding? We don't know, but it doesn't sound like it. If anything, Trump actually announced Russia's retaliation himself. And even though Putin discussed the drone attack with Trump, he still hasn't commented on it in public - four days on.
