Ukraine hails new air defences, warns power situation ‘tense’11, After weeks of Russian attacks on energy facilities, Kyiv officials encouraged residents to use electricity carefully as they revealed Monday that Ukraine had acquired additional air defense systems from Western military allies. Before Tuesday’s elections, which will determine which party controls the US Congress, a question mark looms over American support for Ukraine.
Ukraine hails new air defences, warns power situation ‘tense’11
Even though President Joe Biden’s White House has pledged “unwavering” support for Kyiv regardless of the vote result, Republicans, who many predict will win the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate as well, have expressed worries about the amount of spending for Ukraine.
In the meantime, the Ukrainian defense ministry announced that it had seized several strategically significant energy and manufacturing firms in order to ensure that the armed forces would have enough supplies to repel an invasion by Russia. About 40% of Ukraine’s power plants were damaged by Russian forces’ attacks during the past month, which included the use of drones produced in Iran.
Since over a month, Russian attacks have rocked Kyiv on Monday of every week, but on Monday, inhabitants were out and about as usual, and air raid sirens were silent. Residents of Kyiv were unconcerned by the potential of more strikes on Monday despite the city’s gloom and fog.
“To be honest, it’s not only Mondays, it’s been eight months that we know this can happen every day and we adapted. I’m not going to change my routine for that. I’m coming to work… just like every other day,” 21-year-old Kyiv resident Alyona Plekh told AFP.
– Helping hands –
Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov announced Monday that Ukraine had received National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) and Italian Aspide air defences, adding to weapons supplied by Germany. “These weapons will significantly strengthen the Ukrainian army and will make our skies safer,” Reznikov said on social media.
“We will continue to shoot down the enemy targets attacking us. Thank you to our partners — Norway, Spain and the US,” Reznikov added. Meanwhile, North Korea dismissed as “groundless” claims by the United States that Pyongyang is supplying artillery ammunition to Moscow for the fighting.
“We once again make clear that we have never had ‘arms dealings’ with Russia and that we have no plan to do so in the future,” the statement from the North Korean defence ministry said, according to state media KCNA.
– ‘Tense’ situation –
Weeks of Russian attacks have caused sweeping blackouts and restrictions on energy use across Ukraine.
“The situation in the power system is tense. We ask all residents of the region to support energy workers in the struggle on the energy front. To do this, use electricity sparingly,” city authorities said in a statement. Those pleas come just one day after Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko warned of a possible total blackout in the capital.
The secretary of Ukraine’s national security and defence council Oleksiy Danilov said the decision to take over several companies was made “in connection with military necessity”. Danilov said the enterprises include aircraft engine manufacturer Motor Sich working from the partially Russian-controlled region of Zaporizhzhia, and the oil and gas company UkrNafta.
The Ukrainian presidency meanwhile said Monday that, over the last 24 hours, Russia had fired four missiles and carried out more than 24 air strikes across Ukraine. The Deputy Head of Presidency Kyrylo Tymoshenko said one person was killed by Russian shelling in the Zaporizhzhia region, and another was killed in the northeastern Sumy region. Those attacks came a day after Russian-installed authorities in the southern region of Ukraine, Kherson, said attacks by Kyiv’s forces had cut power and electricity to the region’s main city, also called Kherson.
– Ukraine advances on ‘fortress’ Kherson –
But authorities said Monday that power had been partially restored again in the city, towards which Ukrainian forces have been slowly advancing for weeks, saying that “all critical infrastructure” was back online. As Ukraine presses a counteroffensive in the south, Moscow’s occupation forces in Kherson have vowed to turn the city into a “fortress”.
As Ukrainian troops advance, they have been organizing a civilian exodus from the Kherson region farther into Russian-held territory, which Kyiv refers to as “deportations.” Oleksandr Shevchuk and Lyudmyla managed to flee to area controlled by the Ukrainians in the Kherson region.
They said that Russian forces in their village of Kachkarivka used “psychological pressure” on locals to relocate to the Crimean peninsula that the Russian government had annexed. “They would carry their weapons as they walked from house to house. After that, they would place every phone in a bucket and leave “explained Lyudmyla. In Kherson and three other Ukrainian territories it has claimed as its own but does not completely control, Russia has enacted martial law and restricted communications.