Russian strikes inflicting ‘chaos’ in Ukrainian vitality and railway infrastructure
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of eager to sow “chaos” in Ukraine by launching strikes on his nation’s vitality grid and railway infrastructure, in feedback printed on Thursday, Agence France-Presse (AFP) experiences.
Moscow, whose forces invaded Ukraine in 2022, have in latest weeks escalated aerial assaults on Ukrainian vitality amenities and rail techniques.
Zelenskyy informed journalists, together with AFP, in embargoed feedback made in Kyiv on Wednesday:
Russia’s job is to create chaos and apply psychological stress on the inhabitants by way of strikes on vitality amenities and railways.
The latest assaults mirror comparable Russian bombing campaigns within the winters of 2022, 2023 and 2024 when assaults left thousands and thousands of Ukrainian with out vitality or heating for lengthy intervals.
Zelenskyy stated that Russian assaults this 12 months had already put Ukrainian fuel infrastructure underneath “heavy stress” and that extra strikes on fuel infrastructure may power his nation to ramp up imports.
A Russian in a single day drone assault injured 5 individuals and broken port and vitality infrastructure in Ukraine’s southern area of Odesa, its governor stated on Thursday.
The assault reduce energy to 30,000 shoppers and set containers with vegetable oil and wooden pellets on fireplace within the port, Oleh Kiper stated on Telegram.
Ukraine has additionally not too long ago stepped up its personal drone and missile strikes on Russian territory in a marketing campaign that Zelenskyy stated was displaying “outcomes” and which have additionally elevated gas costs in Russia.
“We imagine that they’ve misplaced as much as 20% of their gasoline provide – straight because of our strikes,” Zelenskyy stated, including there was proof Russia had stepped up imports from China and Belarus.
Ukraine not too long ago struck an influence station within the Russian border area of Belgorod, inflicting energy outages.
Fires additionally broke out at gas and vitality amenities in Russia’s Volgograd area because of a drone assault, Governor Andrei Bocharov stated on Thursday.
Key occasions
Elsewhere in Europe, French prosecutors on Thursday sought a 12-year jail time period for the one man amongst 50 who claims he’s harmless after being convicted of sexually abusing Gisèle Pelicot, Agence France-Presse (AFP) experiences.
The 72-year-old’s former husband has admitted to drugging her with sedatives and welcoming dozens of strangers to rape and abuse her over practically a decade in a case that shocked the world.
Gisèle Pelicot allowed the public into the courtroom during the months-long trial last year to lift consciousness about sexual violence, saying it was time for perpetrators – not victims – to be ashamed.
A decrease court docket final 12 months sentenced Husamettin Dogan, 44, to a nine-year jail sentence after prosecutors additionally requested 12 years.
Public prosecutor Dominique Sie stated he was asking for 3 additional years in view of “Dogan’s stance, in all its rigidity, as he completely refuses to take any duty”.
Dogan has stated he by no means meant to rape her and was “trapped” by her ex-husband Dominique Pelicot in 2019 into considering he can be collaborating in a pair’s sexual recreation.
Sie stated:
So long as you refuse to confess it, it’s not only a girl, it’s a complete sordid social system that you’re endorsing.
There must be an evolution for you, and for society, from rape tradition to a tradition of consent.
Under is a video printed by the Guardian displaying Ukrainian firefighters tackling blazes in burning transport containers after a Russian drone attack injured at least five people in Odesa.
The assault reduce energy to 30,000 individuals and broken the town’s port infrastructure.
Ukraine has recently stepped up its own drone and missile strikes on Russian territory in a marketing campaign Zelenskyy stated was displaying ‘outcomes’ and that has additionally elevated gas costs in Russia.
Russia strikes port amenities and vitality infrastructure in Ukraine’s Odesa area
The Russian defence ministry stated on Thursday that its forces had struck port amenities and vitality infrastructure in Ukraine’s Odesa area that have been utilized by the Ukrainian military, Russian information company Interfax reported, based on Reuters.
The area’s governor had earlier stated the in a single day drone assault injured 5 individuals.
The assault reduce energy to 30,000 shoppers and set containers with vegetable oil and wooden pellets on fireplace within the port, Oleh Kiper stated on Telegram.
The EU expects to mobilise over €400bn ($464.5bn) by 2027 in investments for International Gateway, its programme to spice up investments within the International south, the European Fee president, Ursula von der Leyen, stated on Thursday, Reuters experiences.
International Gateway was initially designed to speculate €300bn, half of it in Africa, from 2021 to 2027, as an alternative choice to China’s rival scheme.
The tasks are in areas similar to vitality, transport, schooling and analysis, together with partnerships to assist the EU safe minerals essential for its inexperienced transition and cut back reliance on China.
She added that right now the EU is launching a International Gateway Funding Hub, a single-entry platform for corporations to suggest investments.
US sanctions on Serbia’s majority-Russian-owned NIS oil firm, which operates the nation’s sole refinery, took impact on Thursday after months of delay, Agence France-Presse (AFP) experiences.
The US sanctioned the corporate, Petroleum Business of Serbia (NIS), in January as a part of its crackdown on the Russian vitality sector following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
After the sanctions got here into power on Thursday morning, NIS stated it “had not but been granted an extension of the particular licence from the USA Division of the Treasury”.
“NIS is working to beat this example,” it stated in a press release, including it could work with the US Treasury to hunt its elimination from the sanctions checklist.
The corporate stated it has “adequate crude oil reserves for processing right now, whereas petrol stations are totally provided with all varieties of petroleum merchandise”.
President Aleksandar Vučić warned on Monday that the sanctions would have a severe affect and hit the banking sector first.
“There isn’t any financial institution on the earth that will danger violating US sanctions,” Vučić stated.
NIS confirmed it expects overseas cost playing cards to “stop functioning”, with petrol stations accepting solely Serbia’s home card or money.
North Korea expressed agency solidarity with Russia’s stance on the Ukraine disaster and full help for Moscow’s army operations, North Korea’s state-run information company KCNA reported the 2 international locations as saying in a joint assertion on Thursday, based on Reuters.
The statements come forward of the eightieth anniversary on Friday of the founding of North Korea’s ruling Employees of Korea occasion.
Ukraine hits Russian fuel plant in a single day
The Ukrainian army stated on Thursday that it had struck the Korobkovsky fuel processing plant and oil transport infrastructure in Russia’s Volgograd area in a single day.
The area’s governor, Andrey Bocharov, stated earlier on Thursday that strikes from Ukrainian drones has triggered fires at “gas and vitality amenities”.
Ukraine’s common workers recorded explosions and a fireplace on the fuel processing plant and Yefimovka station, based on the assertion on Telegram.
The army was working to confirm the size of harm on the amenities.
Individually, the Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, was quoted on Thursday by Russian state information company Tass, based on Reuters, as saying Ukraine was relying on constructive developments on the frontline of the warfare, however the true scenario prompt in any other case.
Ukraine’s prime minister, the top of presidential workplace, and a senior sanctions adviser will go to the USA early subsequent week for talks with US officers, Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Thursday.
Zelenskyy wrote in a submit on social media:
Matters embody air defence, vitality, and sanctions steps, in addition to the negotiation monitor. The problem of frozen property may even be mentioned with the US.
The president added that he believes the US president, Donald Trump, “very a lot desires” to see a ceasefire and finish to Ukraine’s warfare with Russia.
He stated:
I imagine this was his objective from the very starting. We’re grateful for that. I imagine our assembly, mixed with the precise details, has given him a broader understanding that the Russians are “promoting” him one thing they aren’t able to delivering.
Jessica Elgot
Jessica Elgot is the Guardian’s deputy political editor.
Keir Starmer has stated the UK will again India taking its “rightful place” on the UN safety council as he met Narendra Modi in Mumbai on the finish of his two-day journey, saying each he and Modi had mentioned the necessity for a “simply and lasting” peace in Ukraine.
He stated each had agreed the necessity to “break free from fossil fuels” as he praised the “exceptional” velocity of India’s rising financial system.
Talking on the state governor’s residence in Mumbai, Starmer stated:
The prime minister and I additionally mentioned the necessity for a simply and lasting peace in Ukraine, the necessity for stability and safety within the Indo-Pacific, and the necessity to cooperate in essential areas like local weather and vitality, together with breaking away from dependence on fossil fuels.
We sit collectively within the Commonwealth, the G20, and we wish to see India taking its rightful place on the UN safety council too.
It’s important that we’re assembly right here in Mumbai, as India’s financial and monetary capital, as a result of India’s progress story is exceptional.
Modi didn’t echo the language of the prime minister on Ukraine however stated they’d mentioned the “ongoing battle in Ukraine” throughout their face-to-face assembly.
India continues to purchase Russian fossil fuels, which helps to fund Moscow’s warfare effort in Ukraine, which is topic to western sanctions.
“Within the Center East and Ukraine, India helps all efforts for restoring peace by way of dialogue and diplomacy,” Mr Modi stated.
He added that India is “completely dedicated to rising maritime safety cooperation within the Indo-Pacific area”.
Modi praised Starmer straight for restarting the talks on the commerce settlement: “Underneath prime minister Starmer’s management the connection between the UK and India have considerably progressed.”
He added:
Your go to to India inside just some months of concluding the settlement and the truth that you’ve got been accompanied by the most important ever enterprise delegation pay testomony to the brand new vitality within the UK-India relationship.
Russian strikes inflicting ‘chaos’ in Ukrainian vitality and railway infrastructure
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of eager to sow “chaos” in Ukraine by launching strikes on his nation’s vitality grid and railway infrastructure, in feedback printed on Thursday, Agence France-Presse (AFP) experiences.
Moscow, whose forces invaded Ukraine in 2022, have in latest weeks escalated aerial assaults on Ukrainian vitality amenities and rail techniques.
Zelenskyy informed journalists, together with AFP, in embargoed feedback made in Kyiv on Wednesday:
Russia’s job is to create chaos and apply psychological stress on the inhabitants by way of strikes on vitality amenities and railways.
The latest assaults mirror comparable Russian bombing campaigns within the winters of 2022, 2023 and 2024 when assaults left thousands and thousands of Ukrainian with out vitality or heating for lengthy intervals.
Zelenskyy stated that Russian assaults this 12 months had already put Ukrainian fuel infrastructure underneath “heavy stress” and that extra strikes on fuel infrastructure may power his nation to ramp up imports.
A Russian in a single day drone assault injured 5 individuals and broken port and vitality infrastructure in Ukraine’s southern area of Odesa, its governor stated on Thursday.
The assault reduce energy to 30,000 shoppers and set containers with vegetable oil and wooden pellets on fireplace within the port, Oleh Kiper stated on Telegram.
Ukraine has additionally not too long ago stepped up its personal drone and missile strikes on Russian territory in a marketing campaign that Zelenskyy stated was displaying “outcomes” and which have additionally elevated gas costs in Russia.
“We imagine that they’ve misplaced as much as 20% of their gasoline provide – straight because of our strikes,” Zelenskyy stated, including there was proof Russia had stepped up imports from China and Belarus.
Ukraine not too long ago struck an influence station within the Russian border area of Belgorod, inflicting energy outages.
Fires additionally broke out at gas and vitality amenities in Russia’s Volgograd area because of a drone assault, Governor Andrei Bocharov stated on Thursday.
Opening abstract
Good morning and welcome again to our reside protection of Europe.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of eager to sow “chaos” in Ukraine by launching strikes on his nation’s vitality grid and railway infrastructure, in feedback printed on Thursday.
Moscow, whose forces invaded Ukraine in 2022, have in latest weeks escalated aerial assaults on Ukrainian vitality amenities and rail techniques.
Zelenskyy informed journalists, together with Agence France-Presse (AFP), in embargoed feedback made in Kyiv on Wednesday:
Russia’s job is to create chaos and apply psychological stress on the inhabitants by way of strikes on vitality amenities and railways.
The latest assaults mirror comparable Russian bombing campaigns within the winters of 2022, 2023 and 2024 when assaults left thousands and thousands of Ukrainian with out vitality or heating for lengthy intervals.
Zelenskyy stated that Russian assaults this 12 months had already put Ukrainian fuel infrastructure underneath “heavy stress” and that extra strikes on fuel infrastructure may power his nation to ramp up imports.
Ukraine has additionally not too long ago stepped up its personal drone and missile strikes on Russian territory in a marketing campaign that Zelenskyy stated was displaying “outcomes” and which have additionally elevated gas costs in Russia.
“We imagine that they’ve misplaced as much as 20% of their gasoline provide – straight because of our strikes,” Zelenskyy stated, including there was proof Russia had stepped up imports from China and Belarus.
Ukraine additionally not too long ago struck an influence station within the Russian border area of Belgorod, inflicting energy outages.
In different developments:
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Russian strikes killed three individuals and wounded two in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy area, its army administration stated. The assaults got here after Russia stated on Wednesday that momentum in direction of reaching a peace deal in Ukraine had largely vanished, after Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump’s presidential summit in Alaska, dimming hopes for a fast finish to the three-and-a-half 12 months warfare.
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A Russian in a single day drone assault injured 5 individuals and broken port and vitality infrastructure in Ukraine’s southern area of Odesa, its governor stated on Thursday. The assault reduce energy to 30,000 shoppers and set containers with vegetable oil and wooden pellets on fireplace within the port, Oleh Kiper stated on Telegram. It got here as fires broke out at gas and vitality amenities in Russia’s Volgograd area because of a drone assault, Governor Andrei Bocharov stated on Thursday.
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Ukraine’s ambassador to Nato on Wednesday urged European allies to step up purchases of US weapons for Kyiv, as solely Washington can provide key capabilities required to counter Russia’s assaults. “European Nato member states usually are not in a position to substitute both by varieties or by quantity or velocity of supply,” ambassador Alyona Getmanchuk informed AFP.
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French president Emmanuel Macron was on Thursday racing to discover a new prime minister inside a two-day deadline after the resignation of outgoing premier Sebastien Lecornu tipped the nation deeper into political disaster. The presidency stated late on Wednesday Macron will title a brand new prime minister inside the subsequent 48 hours, indicating the appointment will come by Friday night on the newest.
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A French attraction court docket is to rule on Thursday within the case of the one man amongst 50 who claims he’s harmless after being convicted of sexually abusing Gisèle Pelicot. The 72-year-old’s former husband has admitted to drugging her with sedatives and welcoming dozens of strangers to rape and abuse her over practically a decade in a case that shocked the world.
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US sanctions on Serbia’s Russian-owned NIS oil firm, which runs the nation’s sole refinery, got here into power Thursday after months of delays. The US sanctioned the Petroleum Business of Serbia (NIS) in January as a part of its crackdown on Russian vitality, aiming to curb the sector following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
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Germany’s parliament has rescinded a fast-track citizenship programme, reflecting the quickly shifting temper on migration in Europe’s labour-hungry financial powerhouse. Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives pledged on this 12 months’s election marketing campaign to rescind the laws, which let individuals deemed “exceptionally properly built-in” achieve citizenship in three years as an alternative of 5.
