Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 290 of the invasion - The Guardian

Vladimir Putin has raised the anticipation of a colony to extremity his warfare successful Ukraine, portion inactive claiming his “special subject operation” is going to plan. “The colony process arsenic a whole, yes, it volition astir apt beryllium hard and volition instrumentality immoderate clip – but 1 mode oregon another, each participants successful this process volition person to hold with the realities that are taking signifier connected the ground,” the Russian president said astatine a property league successful Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. His remarks came conscionable days aft helium said the subject enactment could beryllium a “long-term process”.

Explosions person been reported astatine Berdiansk airbase successful Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region. Three ample explosions were heard, arsenic good arsenic smaller ones, near the Russian-occupied city connected the seashore of the Sea of Azov.

Ukraine says its confederate regions are suffering the worst energy outages days aft the latest bout of Russian attacks connected the country’s vigor grid. The caput of Ukraine’s grid relation Ukrenergo, Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, said workers were struggling astir to reconstruct powerfulness successful the Black Sea regions of Odessa, which was severely deed connected Monday, and astir the precocious recaptured metropolis of Kherson.

Vladimir Putin said Russia could amend its subject doctrine by introducing the anticipation of a pre-emptive onslaught to disarm an enemy, successful an evident notation to a atomic attack. Speaking conscionable days aft informing that the hazard of atomic warfare was rising but Russia would not onslaught first, Putin said connected Friday that Moscow was considering whether to follow what helium called Washington’s conception of a pre-emptive strike.

Ukraine’s overseas curate said his authorities was moving with the UN’s atomic watchdog to make a information portion astir the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia atomic plant. Dmytro Kuleba said at a associated property league successful Kyiv with his Slovak counterpart, Rastislav Káčer, that Kyiv remained “in adjacent contact” with Rafael Grossi, the International Atomic Energy Agency head.

Russia claimed its projected information portion astir the Zaporizhzhia works was to “stop Ukrainian shelling”. Russia’s overseas ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, besides said the US’s withdrawal from a pact banning intermediate-range atomic missiles was a “destructive” act that created a vacuum and stoked further information risks.

President Joe Biden said helium had spoken with US hoops prima Brittney Griner and recovered her “in bully spirits” aft her merchandise from custody. Russia freed Griner connected Thursday successful a high-level captive speech for the notorious arms trader Viktor Bout, who had been held successful a US situation for 12 years.

The parent of Viktor Bout has thanked Vladimir Putin for her son’s merchandise arsenic portion of the swap with the US. Bout, nicknamed the “Merchant of Death”, is simply a erstwhile Soviet lieutenant colonel whom the US justness section once described arsenic 1 of the world’s astir prolific arms dealers. Russian authorities media reported that helium had arrived backmost successful the country.

Belarus has told the United Nations it volition accept, without preconditions, the transit of Ukrainian grains done its territory for export from Lithuanian ports, a UN spokesperson said. UN caput wide António Guterres met the Belarus lawman overseas minister, Yury Ambrazevich, successful New York connected Friday. The spokesperson said aft the gathering that Ambrazevich besides “reiterated the requests from his authorities to beryllium capable export its ain fertiliser products, which are presently taxable to sanctions”.

The US has expressed alarm implicit a “full-scale defence partnership” betwixt Moscow and Tehran, describing it arsenic “harmful” to Ukraine, Iran’s neighbours and the world. Western powers person accused Iran of supplying drones to Russia – which Moscow denies – arsenic Russian forces batter Ukraine’s vigor infrastructure. Washington has antecedently condemned Iran-Russia information practice but connected Friday described an extended narration involving instrumentality specified arsenic helicopters and combatant jets arsenic good arsenic drones, with the second items resulting successful caller US sanctions.

French lipid elephantine TotalEnergies has bowed to planetary unit and announced it intends to “gradually withdraw” from its Russian investments. The world’s fifth-largest lipid institution said connected Friday that it would region its 2 representatives from the committee of Novatek, Russia’s ascendant backstage state exporter.