The Russian drone strike damaged the Mikolife thermal power plant in southern Ukraine overnight, leaving 46,000 consumers without heating as temperatures plummeted below freezing, Ukrainian prime minister Schmichal said.
“This was done intentionally to create a humanitarian catastrophe without heat at temperatures below zero,” Shmyhal said on the Telegram Messenger app.
Russia attacked Ukraine with 143 drones overnight, but the Ukrainian forces fired 95 of them, while 46 said they didn’t reach the target thanks to the use of electromagnetic countermeasures to destroy the drone attack.
Ukrainian officials said at least one person was injured in the overnight attack and a home in the Kiev region was also damaged. The temperature in Mykolaiv is expected to drop to 7 degrees Celsius (19.4 Fahrenheit) on Sunday night.
Charles Stratford of Al Jazeera reported from Kiev that the Ukrainian forces have seen “an increase in Russian attacks” over the past 24 hours.
“In general… we have not seen Russian troops gain significant benefits for months, but there are no indications that the battle is down,” he said.
Protect the world from evil
Ukrainian President Voldimia Zelenkie, on the sidelines of the three-day Munich Security Conference, which closes on Sunday, urged Western allies to boost Ukraine’s air defense.
Zelensky said Russia currently owns 20% of Ukraine and is slowly moving forward in the east as Moscow’s full-scale invasion celebrates its third anniversary.
He cited data showing that Russia unleashed around 1,220 air bombs, more than 850 drones and more than 40 missiles last week into Ukrainian government-controlled areas.
There were no immediate comments from Russia.
“Europe and the world must be better protected from such evil and ready to stand up to it,” Zelenkie said in a telegram post.
“This requires a strong unified foreign policy and pressure on President Putin, who has launched this war and is now expanding globally,” he said.
“With Europe, the United States and all our partners, we can end this war with just and lasting peace.”
President Donald Trump called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin this week without consulting his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in advance and declaring an immediate start to peace talks. It shocked European allies and Ukraine.
Things “moves quickly”
Trump’s Ukrainian envoy General Keith Kellogg on Saturday asked what could be a contribution to Kiev’s security guarantee after Washington sent a survey to the European capital, Europe sat at a table for Ukraine peace negotiations He said he didn’t have it.
Reported from Munich, Al Jazeera’s James Bayes said, “Hurry up” on concerns that an emergency meeting of European Union foreign ministers might be rejected in US-led peace talks with Russia, just like Ukraine. “It was called.” It will be held in Saudi Arabia in the next few days.
However, French Foreign Minister Jeannoel Barott told France Inter Radio on Sunday that President Emmanuel Macron would host the meeting as planned.
Five European diplomats said the meeting would include France, the UK, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain and Denmark.
“I can’t do anything [done] Without Ukraine, and there is none of Europe,” said Estonian Foreign Minister Margas Tsakna.
He also confirmed that the leader will meet on Monday.
“Things are moving quickly,” he told Al Jazeera. “We have to be sure and clear what we are trying to do.”
He said that European countries can still provide the “support” and “funding” they have promised.
On Saturday, Zelensky called for the creation of a European army, claiming that the continent is no longer sure of US protection and could gain respect from Washington with a powerful army.
In response, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslau Sikorski said in an interview that European countries would not create one unified troop in response to threats from Russia.
Asked about the potential for creating European military, Sikorsky told the state broadcaster TVP World:
“If you understand the unity of the National Army through it, that won’t happen,” he said. “But I was an advocate for Europe, the European Union, to develop its own defensive capabilities.”
Source link
