Ukraine war: Energy situation 'critical' after Russian attacks - BBC

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Smokes rises connected  outskirts of the metropolis  during a Russian rocket  attack, arsenic  their penetration  of Ukraine continues, successful  Kyiv, Ukraine October 18,Image source, Reuters

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Shortly aft 09:00 (06:00 GMT) connected Tuesday, fume could beryllium seen connected the near slope of the Dnipro river

By Hugo Bachega & Paul Kirby

In Kyiv and London

Russian forces person again targeted Ukraine's vigor facilities, leaving portion of Kyiv and different cities with nary powerfulness and water.

A statesmanlike adjutant said the concern crossed Ukraine was present critical.

Prosecutors accidental 2 radical were killed successful an onslaught connected the capital. Plumes of fume were seen billowing from astir a powerfulness presumption adjacent the Dnipro river.

Power and h2o were chopped successful Zhytomyr, westbound of Kyiv, and 2 facilities were severely damaged successful Dnipro.

"Everyone should beryllium ready, first, to prevention electricity, and second, rolling powerfulness blackouts are besides imaginable if strikes continue," said Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the lawman caput of the president's office.

"The full colonisation needs to hole for a pugnacious winter."

President Volodymyr Zelensky said connected Twitter connected Tuesday that successful the past 8 days, 30% of Ukraine's powerfulness stations had been destroyed, "causing monolithic blackouts crossed the country".

Ukrainian vigor steadfast DTEK said 2 of its thermal powerfulness plants had been importantly damaged by Russian shelling, leaving 1 idiosyncratic dormant and six others wounded.

Russia has stepped up attacks successful caller weeks connected energy infrastructure successful cities distant from the beforehand lines. Officials person rushed to repair the damage, but the strikes, up of winter, person raised concerns astir however the strategy volition respond.

Image source, DSNS Ukraine

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Ukrainian firefighters tackled 2 large fires successful the superior Kyiv connected Tuesday

The latest attacks came 24 hours aft "kamikaze" drones - believed to person been supplied by Iran - killed astatine slightest 9 radical successful Kyiv and Sumy, arsenic strikes connected infrastructure caused powerfulness cuts successful hundreds of towns and villages.

It was not initially wide to what grade drones were progressive connected Tuesday. Ukraine said Russian bombers had fired missiles and 1 S-300 anti-aircraft rocket had deed a residential gathering successful the confederate metropolis of Mykolaiv overnight, sidesplitting 1 person. The city's angiosperm marketplace was besides destroyed.

In different attacks aboriginal connected Tuesday:

  • In Zhytomyr, the politician said determination was nary powerfulness oregon h2o successful the metropolis and hospitals were moving connected back-up power
  • 11 villages successful the Zhytomyr portion were besides without electricity, officials said.
  • Power and h2o supplies were disrupted successful the cardinal metropolis of Dnipro, wherever a ample vigor installation was destroyed, and officials said thoroughfare lighting would beryllium turned off
  • Shelling was reported successful the north-eastern metropolis of Kharkiv
  • Infrastructure successful the confederate metropolis of Zaporizhzhia was hit, though section officials said no-one had been hurt.

In immoderate cities, Ukrainians are buying powerfulness generators and state burners, portion crossed the country, radical person been urged to trim their vigor depletion astatine highest times. Some towns are already facing rolling blackouts.

In a abstracted development, Ukraine's authorities atomic vigor institution accused Moscow of abducting 2 elder officials astatine its atomic works astatine Zaporizhzhia.

The works is occupied by Russian forces but its Ukrainian unit proceed to enactment determination nether hard conditions.

Image source, Reuters

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One idiosyncratic was reported killed erstwhile a residential gathering came nether onslaught successful Mykolaiv

"We were expecting that Russia volition intensify attacks connected vigor infrastructure and civilian infrastructure and summation the municipality warfare towards autumn - and present we are precisely with that script taking place," Ukrainian MP Lesia Vasylenko told the BBC.

In its latest assessment, UK defence quality said it was highly apt that Russia had go progressively consenting to onslaught civilian infrastructure, successful summation to subject targets, since its setbacks connected the battlefield.

Russia's rocket and drone attacks person brought renewed calls from the Ukrainian authorities for the transportation of aerial defence missiles.

Earlier, the US said it agreed with its French and UK allies that the proviso of drones by Iran violated a UN Security Council solution linked to a atomic agreement, barring the transportation of definite subject technology.

Ukraine has identified the drones utilized successful deadly attacks connected Kyiv and Sumy arsenic Shahed-136 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Vedant Patel of the US authorities section said the US would not hesitate to usage sanctions. The EU said it was gathering grounds and was acceptable to act.

Both Russia and Iran person denied that Iranian drones were deployed. However, Western officials successful Ukraine said it was not successful uncertainty that the drones had travel from Iran and it was evident Russia was seeking to onslaught the powerfulness network.

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Ukraine Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko: "We request to adjacent the sky"

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said helium would inquire President Zelensky to sever diplomatic ties with Tehran. He besides said an authoritative enactment would beryllium sent to Israel appealing for contiguous aerial defence supplies.

Israeli officials person truthful acold stopped abbreviated of sending weapons to Kyiv. One Russian information figure, Dmitry Medvedev, has warned that if they did, relations with Moscow would beryllium destroyed.

Meanwhile, successful one of the biggest captive swaps since Russia's warfare began successful February, 218 detainees were exchanged - including 108 Ukrainian women.

And crossed the Sea of Azov from Ukraine, a Russian combatant pitchy crashed into the courtyard of a artifact of flats successful the confederate Russian municipality of Yeysk. At slightest 13 radical were killed, including 3 children, portion dozens of residents were rescued from the nine-storey block.

The pilots connected committee the Su-34 level ejected.

Image source, Telegram

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A aviator ejecting from the level successful Yeysk

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