Ukrainians were warned of rolling blackouts because of damage to the country’s power infrastructure from Russian missile attacks this month, and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged people to use as little electricity as possible.
(Bloomberg) — Ukrainians were warned of rolling blackouts because of damage to the country’s power infrastructure from Russian missile attacks this month, and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged people to use as little electricity as possible.
European Union leaders meeting in Brussels will discuss how to help Ukraine’s emergency energy needs.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, meanwhile, called on Iran not to support President Valdimir Putin’s war in Ukraine with drones or missiles as the EU adopted sanctions against the Islamic Republic for selling drones to Russia.
(See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.)
Key Developments
- US Ratchets Up Pressure on Turkey Over Its Ties With Russia
- US Calls for Security Council Briefing on Russia, Iranian Drones
- Ukraine Faces Rolling Blackouts After Attacks on Power Stations
- US Charges Seven in Plot to Buy Chips for Russian Military
- Ukraine’s New Central Banker Focuses on IMF Aid: Decision Guide
On the Ground
Ukrainian forces repelled Russian assaults near nine settlements in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, including Bakhmut, Ukraine’s General Staff said.
Russia launched 11 missile attacks, 28 airstrikes, and more than 65 multiple rocket launcher assaults over the day, according to the General Staff. Russia hit an industrial facility and energy infrastructure in the Kryvyi Rih district of the Dnipropetrovsk region overnight, inflicting serious damage, local authorities said on Telegram.
(All times CET)
EU Adopts Sanctions Against Iran for Drone Sales to Russia (11:23 a.m.)
Bloomberg reported the measures targeting three Iranian generals and Shahed Aviation Industries, a company responsible for the design and development of the Shahed series of Iranian drones that have been supplied to Russia and are currently being used in Ukraine.
Iran denies sending weapons to Russia.
EU States Split on Forming War Crimes Tribunal for Ukraine (10:33 a.m.)
Some EU member states are wary about setting up a war crimes tribunal for atrocities committed in Ukraine, following what some said were mixed experiences of the court set to deal with such crimes committed during the 1990s in the former Yugoslavia, according to a person familiar with the issue.
An early version of the EU summit conclusions contained a reference suggesting a special tribunal to investigate crimes of aggression be formed, but the reference to the “special tribunal” was removed in a subsequent draft after opposition from a few countries.
Some nations are not pushing to have it restored.
NATO Chief Calls on Iran to Not Back Russia Against Ukraine (10:21 a.m.)
While NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said “every indication points to Iran supplying Russia with drones,” he declined to confirm reports the country is also sending missiles to Russia, saying he wouldn’t go into specific intelligence.
Sweden to Work With Turkey on Support for NATO Bid (10:15 a.m.)
Sweden’s new cabinet will “redouble efforts” to work with Turkey to allay its concerns so that it’s able to ratify the Nordic country’s accession to NATO, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told reporters in Brussels.
He added that he’s prepared to visit Ankara as soon as possible, with preparations for the trip already being made.
EU Leaders to Discuss Ukraine’s Emergency Needs (9:41 a.m.)
European Union leaders meeting in Brussels will discuss how to help Ukraine’s emergency energy needs following Russia’s attacks on critical infrastructure this month, according to people familiar with the matter.
The issue was a late addition to the agenda for the summit starting Thursday, the people said.
Kyiv has provided a list of its most urgent needs, covering dozens of items such as circuit breakers, disconnecters, transformers and relay protection automation devices.
Other requirements include surge arresters, aerials, power cables, vehicles, as well as several types of switches and high-voltage inputs, according to a document seen by Bloomberg.
Russia’s Attack Is Test for Germany and Europe, Scholz Says (9:23 a.m.)
Russia’s attack on Ukraine is the biggest test for Germany and Europe in decades, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in parliament.
President Putin’s “brutal war,” his “merciless use of hunger and energy as weapons” and his “totally irresponsible threat to use nuclear weapons” aim at dividing and frightening Europe, Scholz said.
“Putin won’t reach his war goals.”
Grid Operator Warns of Possible Blackouts Across Ukraine (7:57 a.m.)
Ukrenergo, the state-run energy company, warned about possible blackouts all over Ukraine and urged citizens to reduce electricity consumption on Thursday.
“Russian constant missile attacks destroy our energy infrastructure, and energy workers need time to restore it,” the company said on Telegram.
“We need to be very conscious and frugal with our electricity consumption in order to get through the coming winter as well as possible.”
US Hands Out Charges in Plot to Buy Chips for Russia (2:05 a.m.)
The US Justice Department accused seven people of evading US sanctions as part of a purported plot to sell Venezuelan oil to Russia and China and use the proceeds to buy black market chips for Russia to install in high-tech weapons on the battlefields in Ukraine.
The five Russians and two Venezuelans, “knowingly sought to conceal the theft of US military technology and profit off black market oil,” FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael Driscoll said in announcing the charges in New York.
“This network schemed to procure sophisticated technology in direct support of a floundering Russian Federation military industrial complex.”
Zelenskiy Urges Citizens to Conserve Power (1:40 a.m.)
Zelenskiy urged Ukrainians to use as little electricity as possible on Thursday after electrical grid operator Ukrenergo warned of rolling blackouts because of damage to power infrastructure from Russian missile attacks.
“It is very important energy is consumed with awareness tomorrow,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly address.
“We are preparing for all possible scenarios in the light of approaching winter season. We proceed from the fact that Russian terror will be directed at energy facilities until, with the help of our partners, we can shoot down 100% of enemy’s missiles and drones.”
All regions in Ukraine may face four-hour cutoffs between 7 a.m.
and 10 p.m., a necessary step because of a shortage of power generation, Ukrenergo said.
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