A missile strike severely disrupted a key electrical installation in Ukraine’s capital region, the country’s grid operator said on Saturday, as the Russian military worked to cut power in remote populated spaces while guarding against Ukrainian counterattacks in the occupied regions.
The governor of the Kyiv region, Oleksiy Kuleba, said the attack on the unidentified facility did not kill or injure anyone. Electricity transmission company Ukrenergo said repair crews were working to repair the emergency service, but warned citizens of more blackouts imaginable.
After a truck bomb exploded a week ago, damaging the bridge connecting Russia to the annexed Crimean peninsula, the Kremlin introduced what is believed to be its largest coordinated missile attack on Ukraine since the country’s initial invasion last February.
This week’s large-scale retaliatory strikes, which included the use of Iran’s self-destructive explosive drones, killed dozens of people. The movements affected residential buildings as well as civilian infrastructure such as power plants in Kyiv, Lviv in western Ukraine and others. villages that had noticed few movements in recent months.
Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the Ukrainian president’s office, on Saturday suggested to citizens of the Kyiv region and citizens of 3 neighboring regions to reduce their energy consumption during the evening rush hour.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Moscow does not see the need for more major attacks, but that his military will carry out targeted strikes. He said that of the 29 targets the Russian military planned in this week’s attacks, seven were not broken and eliminated.
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, interpreted Putin’s comments as an intention to counter the complaints of pro-war Russian bloggers who “welcomed the resumption of movements in Ukrainian cities, but warned that a short crusade would be ineffective. “
“Putin knew that he would not be able to perform high-intensity missile movements for a long time because of the decrease in the arsenal of high-precision missiles,” the think tank said.
Russian diplomat Konstantin Vorontsov told the assembly of the UN General Assembly’s weapons committee on Friday that Russia would supply its best friend, Belarus, with Iskander-M short-range missiles that could bring a nuclear or traditional warhead and modernize Belarus’ component. attack aircraft to bring nuclear weapons.
Vorontsov explained the resolution by mentioning Moscow’s fears about the option of deploying US nuclear weapons in Poland, near the borders of Belarus and Russia.
That, in accordance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Russia has not recently intended to install nuclear warheads in the weapons systems of Belarus or to move nuclear warheads on the territory of Belarus.
The southern regions of Ukraine that Putin illegally designated as Russian territory last month remained amid fighting on Saturday. Ukrainian forces continued a crusade to retake the Kherson region, which it basically occupied through Russia.
Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the region’s Moscow-based administration, reminded citizens that they could evacuate to Crimea and cities in southwestern Russia as Ukrainian forces try to advance toward the regional capital.
After fear in the region, Kremlin-backed leaders on Thursday called on civilians to evacuate for protection and give more maneuverability to Russian troops, Moscow offered flexible accommodation to citizens who agreed to leave.
Ukrainian troops tried to advance south along the banks of the Dnieper, but gained ground, according to Stremousov.
“The lines of defense worked and the situation remained under the full control of the Russian military,” he wrote on his messaging app channel.
Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for Russia’s Defense Ministry, said the army had destroyed five crossings on the Inhulets River, direction Ukrainian fighters could take to advance into the Kherson region.
Konashenkov claimed that Russian troops have also blocked Ukrainian attempts to break through Russian defenses near Lyman, a town in Ukraine’s annexed Donetsk region that the Ukrainians recaptured two weeks ago in a primary Kremlin defeat.
In the Zaporizhzhia region bordering Kherson, Governor Oleksandr Starukh said the Russian military has carried out movements with kamikaze drones and Iranian-made S-300 missiles. Precision guns to hit the ground.
North and east of Kherson, Russian shelling killed two civilians in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Governor Valentyn Resnichenko said. dozens of major buildings, several department stores, and a shipping facility.
Fighting near the nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, was a constant fear during the nearly eight-month war. it will eventually overheat and cause a catastrophic radiation leak.
International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi said fears had eased on Friday night as Ukrainian engineers had controlled after several weeks to repair emergency lines of force that can serve as a “buffer” in the event of additional war. related blackouts.
“Working in very difficult conditions, the operational personnel of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant are doing their best for their fragile off-site force scenario,” Grossi said. “Recovering the backup force connection is a positive step in this regard, even if the overall nuclear safety and security scenario remains precarious. “
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