Latest news with #Russia-appointed
India Today
a day ago
- Politics
- India Today
Ukrainian drones hit Russian-held areas in fresh strike on power sites
Fresh Ukrainian drone strikes have hit energy facilities in Russian-controlled areas of southern Ukraine, disrupting power for tens of thousands, Russia-installed officials said early on Saldo, the Russian-installed governor of Kherson region, said early Thursday that the attacks left 97 settlements without electricity, affecting around 68,000 the neighboring Zaporizhzhia region, Yevgeny Balitsky, the Russia-appointed head, said energy facilities were also under attack. While he did not specify the number of people affected, Balitsky mentioned that 10 drones were shot Earlier this week, similar drone strikes temporarily cut power to roughly 700,000 residents in the regions. Officials said emergency services managed to restore power immediately after those has not officially commented on the latest attacks, but it has increasingly used drones in its campaign to disrupt Russian logistics and control over occupied Watch
RTÉ News
3 days ago
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Ukrainian strikes cut power to key Russian-held areas
Ukrainian attacks triggered power cuts over swathes of Russian-controlled territory in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions in Ukraine's south, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without electricity, Russia-installed officials said. Officials said there was no effect on operations at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station - Europe's largest nuclear facility which was seized by Russia in the weeks after Moscow's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Russian officials running the plant said radiation levels were normal at the facility, which operates in shutdown mode and produces no power at the moment. Russia-installed governors in the two regions - which are among the key areas that Russia demands that Ukraine give up in order for the war to end - said the Ukrainian attacks prompted authorities to introduce emergency measures to preserve power sources. More than 600,000 people in nearly 500 settlements in Zaporizhzhia were without electricity, after shelling by Ukraine's forces damaged high-voltage infrastructure, Russia-installed Governor Yevgeny Belitsky wrote on Telegram. "As a result of shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, high-voltage equipment was damaged in the northwestern part of the Zaporizhzhia region," Mr Belitsky wrote. The attacks came hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Turkey for peace talks where Russia said it would only agree to end the war if Ukraine gives up big new chunks of territory and accepts limits on the size of its army. The Zaporizhzhia region energy ministry has been instructed to conserve sources of power and healthcare sites have been transferred to reserve power sources. In the adjacent Kherson region, farther west, Russia-appointed Governor Vladimir Saldo said debris from fallen drones had damaged two substations, knocking out power to more than 100,000 residents of 150 towns and villages in Russian-held areas. Emergency crews working to restore power quickly, he said. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Both sides deny targeting civilians in their attacks. But thousands of civilians have died in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainian. For many long months in the winter, it was Ukrainian towns and villages that endured repeated electricity cuts as Russian attacks focused strikes on generating capacity. Each side has repeatedly accused the other of launching attacks on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and running the risk of a nuclear accident. The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said last week in response to a Ukrainian complaint that it saw no sign that Russia was preparing to restart the Zaporizhzhia plant and connect it to the Russian grid. The IAEA has stationed monitors permanently at Zaporizhzhia and Ukraine's other nuclear power stations. Trump open to meeting Zelensky and Putin US President Donald Trump is "open" to meeting his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts in Turkey, the White House said, after the two sides failed Monday to make headway towards an elusive ceasefire yesterday. Delegations from both sides did, however, agree another large-scale prisoner exchange in their meeting in Istanbul, which in mid-May also hosted their first round of face-to-face talks. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan proposed that Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Mr Trump come together for a third round later this month in either Istanbul or Ankara. Mr Putin has so far refused such a meeting. However, Mr Zelensky has said he is willing, underlining that key issues can only be resolved at leaders-level. Mr Trump, who wants a swift end to the three-year war, is "open" to a three-way summit "if it comes to that, but he wants both of these leaders and both sides to come to the table together", White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in Washington. But despite Mr Trump's willingness to meet with Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky, no US representative took part in yesterday's talks in Istanbul, according to a State Department spokesperson. Mr Zelensky said that, "we are very much awaiting strong steps from the United States" and urged Mr Trump to toughen sanctions on Russia to "push" it to agree to a full ceasefire. Ukraine said yesterday that Russia had rejected its call for an unconditional ceasefire. It offered instead a partial truce of two to three days in some areas of the frontline. Russia will only agree a full ceasefire if Ukrainian troops pull back entirely from four regions - Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson - according to its negotiating terms reported on by Russian state media. Russia currently only partly controls those regions. Russia has also demanded a ban on Ukraine joining NATO, limiting Ukraine's military and ending Western military support. Top negotiators from both sides agreed to swap all severely wounded soldiers and captured fighters under the age of 25. Russia's lead negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said it would involve "at least 1,000" on each side. The two sides also agreed to hand over the bodies of 6,000 soldiers, Ukraine said after the talks.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Ukrainian strikes cut power to key Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukrainian attacks triggered power cuts over swathes of Russian-controlled territory in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions in Ukraine's south, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without electricity, Russia-installed officials said on Tuesday. Officials said there was no effect on operations at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station - Europe's largest nuclear facility which was seized by Russia in the weeks after Moscow's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Russian officials running the plant said radiation levels were normal at the facility, which operates in shutdown mode and produces no power at the moment. Russia-installed governors in the two regions - which are among the key areas that Moscow demands that Ukraine give up in order for the war to end - said the Ukrainian attacks prompted authorities to introduce emergency measures to preserve power sources. As of Tuesday morning, more than 600,000 people in nearly 500 settlements in Zaporizhzhia were without electricity, after shelling by Ukraine's forces damaged high-voltage infrastructure, Russia-installed Governor Yevgeny Belitsky wrote on Telegram. "As a result of shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, high-voltage equipment was damaged in the northwestern part of the Zaporizhzhia region," Belitsky wrote. The attacks came hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Turkey for peace talks where Moscow said it would only agree to end the war if Kyiv gives up big new chunks of territory and accepts limits on the size of its army. The Energy Ministry of Zaporizhzhia region has been instructed to conserve sources of power and healthcare sites have been transferred to reserve power sources. In the adjacent Kherson region, farther west, Russia-appointed Governor Vladimir Saldo said debris from fallen drones had damaged two substations, knocking out power to more than 100,000 residents of 150 towns and villages in Russian-held areas. Emergency crews working to restore power quickly, he said. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Both sides deny targeting civilians in their attacks. But thousands of civilians have died in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainian. For many long months in the winter, it was Ukrainian towns and villages that endured repeated electricity cuts as Russian attacks focused strikes on generating capacity. Each side has repeatedly accused the other of launching attacks on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and running the risk of a nuclear accident. The U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said last week in response to a Ukrainian complaint that it saw no sign that Russia was preparing to restart the Zaporizhzhia plant and connect it to the Russian grid. The IAEA has stationed monitors permanently at Zaporizhzhia and Ukraine's other nuclear power stations. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Daily Maverick
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Ukrainian strikes cut power to Russian-held areas, officials say
Officials said there was no effect on operations at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station – Europe's largest nuclear facility which was seized by Russia in the weeks after Moscow's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Russian officials running the plant said radiation levels were normal at the facility, which operates in shutdown mode and produces no power at the moment. Russia-installed governors in the two regions said the Ukrainian attacks prompted authorities to introduce emergency measures and switch key sites to reserve power sources. Power was knocked out to all parts of Zaporizhzhia under Russian control, Russia-installed Governor Yevgeny Belitsky wrote on Telegram. 'As a result of shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, high-voltage equipment was damaged in the northwestern part of the Zaporizhzhia region,' Belitsky wrote. 'There is no electricity throughout the region. The Energy Ministry of Zaporizhzhia region has been instructed to develop reserve sources of power. Health care sites have been transferred to reserve power sources.' In adjacent Kherson region, farther west, Russia-appointed Governor Vladimir Saldo said debris from fallen drones had damaged two substations, knocking out power to more than 100,000 residents of 150 towns and villages in Russian-held areas. Emergency crews working to restore power quickly, he said. For many long months in the winter, it was Ukrainian towns and villages that endured repeated electricity cuts as Russian attacks focused strikes on generating capacity. Each side has repeatedly accused the other of launching attacks on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and running the risk of a nuclear accident. The U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said last week in response to a Ukrainian complaint that it saw no sign that Russia was preparing to restart the Zaporizhzhia plant and connect it to the Russian grid. The IAEA has stationed monitors permanently at Zaporizhzhia and Ukraine's other nuclear power stations.
India Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Blackout in Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia after Ukrainian shelling, says Kremlin
Russian-installed officials in Ukraine's occupied Zaporizhzhia region claimed on Tuesday that strikes by Ukrainian forces have plunged the entire area under Moscow's control into darkness, damaging key high-voltage equipment. Ukraine, meanwhile, signaled it had no intention of halting its pressure, with top officials calling for fresh sanctions against Moscow amid ongoing peace efforts.'As a result of shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, high-voltage equipment was damaged in the northwestern part of the Zaporizhzhia region,' said Yevgeny Balitsky, the Russia-appointed head of the regional administration. 'There is no electricity throughout the region.'advertisementRussia's TASS news agency reported that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, located within the same region and under Russian control, remained unaffected. The claim comes as Ukraine continues to step up attacks targeting logistics and infrastructure in Russian-held territory, aiming to weaken Moscow's grip ahead of potential new a senior aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv said Russia is deliberately stalling peace efforts and warned that harsher economic penalties are necessary to rein in the Kremlin's ambitions.'The Russians are doing everything to not cease firing and continue the war,' wrote Andriy Yermak, head of the president's office, on Telegram. 'New sanctions now are significant.'His comments followed the conclusion of the latest round of peace talks in Istanbul, where Ukrainian and Russian negotiators reportedly agreed to exchange lists of prisoners ahead of a potential large-scale at a separate online briefing, President Zelenskyy said the two sides had agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners each, with an option to exchange another 200 soon. Both sides also agreed in principle to repatriate the remains of fallen soldiers — an undertaking Zelenskyy described as requiring "careful preparation."He also raised a humanitarian issue that remains unresolved: the return of Ukrainian children taken to Russia.'We gave the Russian side a list of nearly 400 children that we want returned home,' Zelenskyy said. 'They agreed to work on returning only 10 of them.'(With inputs from Reuters)
