Millions of Ukrainians without power after latest attacks on civilian infrastructure, Zelensky says
Nearly half a million Kyiv homes are without electricity, says Mayor Vitali Klitschko
From CNN’s Hannah Ritchie
Almost half a million homes in Kyiv are without electricity on Friday in the wake of Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure that have brought power outages across Ukraine, according to the capital’s mayor Vitali Klitschko.
“450,000 consumers, that is households in Kyiv, are out of power this morning. It is one and a half times more than the recent days,” Klitschko said on Telegram.
“Stabilization outages are applied due to overloading of the central unit of the country’s energy system. I urge all city residents to save electricity as much as possible because the situation remains difficult.”
Some context: Ukraine has been facing a wide Russian assault on critical infrastructure and power sources since early October.
This week alone, attacks on infrastructure in the regions of Kyiv, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia have left millions without electricity and water intermittently. About 4.5 million Ukrainian consumers were dealing with power outages as of Thursday evening, according to President Volodymr Zelensky.
Millions of Ukrainians without power after latest attacks on civilian infrastructure, Zelensky says
From CNN’s Yulia Kesaieva and Jennifer Hauser
About 4.5 million Ukrainian consumers were dealing with power outages as of Thursday evening, according to President Volodymr Zelensky.
Households across the country have been temporarily disconnected from energy supply under an emergency schedule aimed at stabilizing the nation’s fragile electric grid. Russia has been bombing and destroying civilian infrastructure, ushering in fears of a cold, dark winter.
Most people are affected in the capital, Kyiv, and nine other regions: Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Kirovohrad, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Khmelnytskyi and Cherkasy. Power outages are also possible in other areas.
“The very fact that Russia has resorted to terror against the energy sector indicates the weakness of the enemy. They cannot defeat Ukraine on the battlefield and therefore they are trying to break our people in this way,” Zelensky said.
Some background: Kyiv’s Western allies have condemned Russia’s focus on dismantling Ukrainian energy infrastructure ahead of winter.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Thursday that G7 countries have a “moral duty” to help Ukraine, as Putin counts on the winter to help his forces batter Ukraine.
UN watchdog finds no indication of undeclared nuclear activities or materials in Ukraine
From CNN’s Jennifer Hauser
International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors have completed verification activities at three locations in Ukraine at the request of the Ukrainian government, and they have not found any indications of undeclared nuclear activities and materials, according to a statement by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi Thursday.
Ukraine requested the inspection after Russia made allegations about activities related to the possible production of “dirty bombs” in three locations: the Institute for Nuclear Research in Kyiv, Eastern Mining and Processing Plant in Zhovti Vody, and Production Association Pivdennyi Machine-Building Plant in Dnipro, according to the IAEA, the UN’s nuclear watchdog.
“Over the past few days, the inspectors were able to carry out all activities that the IAEA had planned to conduct and were given unfettered access to the locations. Based on the evaluation of the results available to date and the information provided by Ukraine, the Agency did not find any indications of undeclared nuclear activities and materials at the locations,” the IAEA statement said.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called Russia “the world’s top liar” after the IAEA’s announcement.
“IAEA has checked 3 Ukrainian facilities in focus of Russian disinfo and found no evidence of any ‘dirty bombs’. I thank @rafaelmgrossi for IAEA’s excellent and prompt cooperation which helped counter Russian falsehoods. Russia has confirmed its status of the world’s top liar,” Kuleba tweeted Thursday.
Some background: Russia had accused Ukraine of planning to use a so-called dirty bomb — a weapon that combines conventional explosives like dynamite and radioactive material like uranium — an allegation dismissed by Kyiv and its Western allies as a false-flag operation that Moscow could use as a pretext to escalate the Kremlin’s war.
US Embassy officials visit detained basketball star Brittney Griner in Russia
From CNN’s Jennifer Hansler and Sam Fossum
Officials from the US Embassy in Moscow met with detained American Brittney Griner on Thursday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
We are told she’s doing as well a“s can be expected under the circumstances,” Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One.
State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a tweet Thursday that embassy officials “saw firsthand her tenacity and perseverance despite her present circumstances.”
Read more here.
UN chief welcomes revival of Black Sea grain deal as food shipments leave ports
From CNN’s Samantha Beech
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the revival of the Black Sea grain corridor this week, saying the ships departing Ukrainian ports provide “hopeful news in a world churning in turmoil.”
Seven vessels carrying food left Ukraine’s ports Thursday after Russia agreed to rejoin the Black Sea grain deal. Shipments of grain from Ukraine had been in jeopardy after Russia suspended its participation in the initiative last weekend. It resumed its role on Wednesday.
“For stemming the food crisis, for easing prices and pressures for people around the world, for reducing the risks of hunger, poverty and instability, the Black Sea grain initiative is making a difference,” Guterres told reporters at UN headquarters in New York.
Guterres said the initiative has reached a new milestone with 10 million metric tons of grain and other food products being shipped through the Black Sea corridor in three months.
“Despite all the obstacles we have seen, the beacon of hope in the Black Sea is still shining and the initiative is working,” he said. “It is our collective responsibility to keep it working smoothly.”
More background: In July, following months of negotiations, ministers from both Ukraine and Russia signed the grain deal brokered by the UN and Turkey. Russia pledged to unblock ports on the Black Sea to allow the safe passage of grain and oilseeds — some of Ukraine’s most important exports. The shipments are viewed as critical to addressing the global food shortage.
The UN chief said Thursday that he is grateful for Turkey’s diplomatic efforts in establishing and helping reopen the vital food supply line.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-11-04-22/index.html
