Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited Izyum, the biggest city recaptured last week during a counteroffensive in the country’s northeast that marked Ukraine’s most significant battlefield victory since repelling Russia’s attempt to seize Kyiv early in the war.
(Bloomberg) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited Izyum, the biggest city recaptured last week during a counteroffensive in the country’s northeast that marked Ukraine’s most significant battlefield victory since repelling Russia’s attempt to seize Kyiv early in the war.
Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Union’s executive, pledged in her annual state of the union address on Wednesday to work to guarantee “seamless” access for Ukraine to the bloc’s massive single market to help its economy recover from the war.
The US is preparing another package of aid to Ukraine, according to John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council, who cited a “shift in momentum” in the war after the government in Kyiv said it recaptured more than 2,300 square miles of occupied territory.
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Key Developments
- Ukraine’s Leader Visits Largest City Seized Back From Russians
- Xi Unlikely to Throw Putin a Lifeline as Ukraine Struggles Mount
- Yuan’s Clout Gets a Boost From Russia Trade as Sanctions Bite
- Azerbaijan-Armenia Fighting Resumes as US, France Urge Truce
- Russia’s Invasion Put Ukraine’s Renewables Gains in Jeopardy
On the Ground
Ukraine was consolidating control over territory retaken from occupying Russian forces during its recent counteroffensive, Zelenskiy said, following a push that shifted momentum in Kyiv’s favor. Fighting continued in the south, the Ukrainian military said. Russia again targeted civilian infrastructure, according to Ukraine’s General Staff, while local authorities said the cities of Mykolaiv and Nikopol were shelled overnight. Ukraine’s military destroyed several ammunition depots and is targeting Russian troops with artillery fire, military spokeswoman Nataliya Humeniuk told a briefing Wednesday. The Russian navy has also increased the number of missile carriers in the Black Sea to five with the total number of Kalibr type cruise missiles to 36.
(All times CET)
Ukraine Seeks to Continue Electricity Export Without Zaporizhzhia (2:04 p.m.)
Ukraine expects to continue exporting electricity to European countries over the winter season despite the conflict and the idling of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, according to Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, chief executive of state-run power company Ukrenergo.
“We’re talking about more than 600 megawatts of export capacity for Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Moldova,” Kudrytskyi said. Ukrenergo plans to increase exports and is now preparing for winter season to ensure consumers have power.
Zelenskiy Raises Ukrainian Flag in Izyum (12:40 p.m.)
Zelenskiy participated in a flag-raising ceremony in Izyum, which had been a key staging point for Russian troops before they retreated in the face of a lightning Ukrainian counteroffensive last week, according to a statement on the presidential website.
The Kharkiv region city of Izyum, which was occupied by Russia since March, is one of the most strategically significant areas retaken during the counteroffensive. The speed of the Russian retreat last week was evident in the amount of military vehicles and ammunition left behind.
The Russian military said on Saturday it pulled troops out of two areas in the Kharkiv region to regroup its forces in the Donetsk region.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Says Russia Sought Talks: France 24 (11:05 a.m.)
Russian officials reached out to Ukraine in recent days about negotiations, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna told France 24 in an interview.
Moscow doesn’t reject negotiations with Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on state television Sunday. However, the longer they are delayed, the more difficult the talks will be, he said.
There haven’t been substantial peace talks since the early days of the war, and the prospect of a settlement appears dim following Ukraine’s successful counteroffensive this month. Billionaire Roman Abramovich attempted to revive contacts between the sides in April but failed to achieve a breakthrough.
EU’s von der Leyen to Travel to Kyiv Wednesday (9:40 a.m.)
Von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said she would make her third trip to Ukraine since the war began later Wednesday to discuss a plan to ensure “seamless access to the single market of the European Union” with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
“Europe’s solidarity with Ukraine will remain unshakable,” von der Leyen told European lawmakers in her annual speech in Strasbourg. Sanctions imposed by the EU against Russia following its invasion “are here to stay.”
Von der Leyen said she will travel to Kyiv with Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, who attended the speech.
US Says Russia Gave $300 Million to Foreign Political Parties (7:30 a.m.)
Russia has secretly funneled more than $300 million to foreign political parties and candidates in more than two dozen countries since 2014 to influence elections, and may ramp up its efforts in the coming months in a bid to blunt the effect of sanctions, a senior US official said, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity.
Russia transfers the funds — cash, cryptocurrency and non-monetary contributions — using intermediaries including security services, oligarchs and supposedly independent foundations or think tanks, the State Department said in a note to dozens of US embassies that was shared with reporters.
Biden Cites ‘Significant Progress,’ With Caveat (3:10 a.m.)
President Joe Biden, asked if Ukraine’s recent battlefield successes marked an inflection point in the war, said Tuesday evening that “the question is unanswerable right now.”
“It’s clear the Ukrainians have made significant progress,” he told reporters after voting in Wilmington, Delaware. “I think it’s gonna be a long haul.”
US Cites ‘Shift in Momentum,’ Readies Another Round of Aid (8:25 p.m.)
The US is preparing another round of military aid for Ukraine, as the Biden administration sees a “shift in momentum” favoring Kyiv’s forces against its Russian opponents, National Security Council spokesman Kirby told reporters.
Additional supplies of weapons that will be announced in the “coming days” could help Ukraine keep up its counteroffensives against the Russians, Kirby said without detailing what will be provided.
Saying Ukrainians have made “more dramatic” advances in the country’s north than in the south, Kirby said. “I would let President Zelenskiy determine and decide whether he feels militarily they’ve reached a turning point. But clearly, at least in the Donbas, there’s a sense of momentum here by the Ukrainian armed forces.”
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