During the past winter of war, people in Ukraine were often left in the dark and cold because the Russian army systematically bombed power plants and other parts of the energy infrastructure from the air.
(Photo: IMAGO/photothek)
Kyiv, Moscow Because of the danger to the Ukrainian energy system, Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also spoke out in favor of helping the attacked country with even more anti-aircraft weapons. “My visit to the substation just outside Kiev once again showed the urgency of protecting electricity, water and heat supplies from the cold season.” The Green politician said this to the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” (Wednesday edition). “My appeal therefore to us and our partners: We must put a winter protective umbrella of air defense over Ukraine’s critical infrastructure.”
During the past winter of war, people in Ukraine were often left in the dark and cold because the Russian army systematically bombed power plants and other parts of the energy infrastructure from the air and damage could only be repaired in a makeshift manner.
“The electricity, coal, oil and gas industries are currently intensively preparing for the new heating season,” said the Energy Ministry in Kiev. “The electricity generated by Ukrainian power plants is currently sufficient to meet consumer needs.” Therefore, reports of alleged impending power shutdowns from October 1st are false. However, such a scenario cannot be ruled out if Russia attacks the energy infrastructure again.
Ukrainians advance near Bakhmut
The General Staff in Kiev said there were “partial successes” in the town of Klishchiyivka, south of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. The Russian army captured Bakhmut in the Donetsk region in May after months of costly fighting. However, Ukraine is now attacking north and south of the city and putting pressure on the occupiers on the flanks.
The General Staff reported further partial successes from the Robotyne area in the Zaporizhia region in the south. The Ukrainian army has been slowly working its way through heavily mined Russian defense lines there for weeks. The military information from both sides is often not immediately verifiable. In this case, however, they roughly correspond to the situation that experts can recognize with the help of photos and videos. The Ukrainian army reported Russian artillery fire and air strikes from all sectors of the front.
Governor: Major fire after attack on Sevastopol
At least 24 people were injured in a suspected rocket attack on the Bay of Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea, according to the Moscow-appointed regional administration. A “non-civilian facility” in the port city of Sevastopol went up in flames as a result of the attack, Governor Mikhail Razvoshayev said via Telegram, as the Russian state news agency Tass reported early Wednesday morning.
This is how the Handelsblatt reports on the Ukraine war:
According to the report, about ten explosions echoed through the city where the Russian Black Sea Fleet is based. Razvoshayev blamed the Ukrainian military for the attack. Crimea was annexed by Russia in 2014 in violation of international law.
Zelensky defends disclosure of assets of public servants
In the midst of the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants to reintroduce a key tool in the fight against corruption. The digital declarations of state officials about their financial circumstances should be public again, he said in Kiev. Zelensky vetoed a parliamentary law requiring this information to be kept secret for another year.
“This is not just about the political responsibility of Parliament, but also about our accession negotiations with the EU,” he said in his evening video speech on Tuesday. Parliament should correct its decision in September.
The public disclosure of the assets of high-ranking civil servants was considered an important reform after the wave of protests on Kiev’s Independence Square in 2014/15.
(Photo: dpa)
The public disclosure of the assets of high-ranking civil servants was considered an important reform after the wave of protests on Kiev’s Independence Square in 2014/15. It was suspended in 2022 due to the Russian war of aggression. Parliament wanted to reintroduce disclosure, but ordered the ban to apply for another year. Ukrainian civil society initiatives collected tens of thousands of signatures against the law.
Putin and Kim meet in Russia
President Vladimir Putin is expected to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the Russian Far East on Wednesday. The place and time of the meeting were not initially announced. The new Russian spaceport Vostochny was considered a possible meeting point. The guest from the isolated communist country traveled to the meeting in his heavily armored special train.
It is assumed that Putin and Kim are allowed to talk about arms deals. Russia urgently needs ammunition for its war of aggression against Ukraine. North Korea, in turn, is likely to hope for Russian technology to build satellites and nuclear submarines, for example. For Kim, who previously invoked the “strategic importance of relations” between the two countries, it is the second visit to Russia after a meeting with Putin in Vladivostok in April 2019.
In the fight against the Russian invasion, the Ukrainian General Staff reported progress on long-contested sections of the front on Tuesday evening. The Ukrainian Energy Ministry, meanwhile, denied reports that power cuts were planned from October 1st. A rocket attack on the Russian-occupied port city of Sevastopol was reported from the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, injuring two dozen people.
That will be important on Wednesday
After arriving in Russia, Kim continued to his actual destination, according to North Korean state media. The meeting will be followed with international attention.
Meanwhile, the Vatican continues its efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Pope Francis’ special representative, Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, is expected in Beijing for this purpose. China is one of Russia’s closest allies.
More: All developments in the Ukraine war in our news blog