Russia Ukraine faces new power cuts
Following the recent Russian attacks against the energy infrastructure, nationwide power cuts are set to begin in Ukraine this morning. The national electricity supplier Ukrenerho has published timetables in advance for the various regions in which the power will be switched off for several hours. Despite Ukraine's intensive preparations to protect its infrastructure against attacks, the Russian military managed to penetrate the protective shields with missiles and combat drones on Sunday night.
18.11.2024, 04:33
SDA
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell condemned the attacks, which terrorized civilians and destroyed Ukraine's energy infrastructure before the winter. "Ukraine needs more air defense," he wrote on Platform X and announced that he would present this priority at the next meeting of the EU Council of Foreign Affairs and Defense Ministers.
Following Ukrenerho's announcement, the power cuts will begin in the morning. Between 6:00 and 22:00 (5:00 - 21:00 CET), electricity would be cut off twice for a longer period in different regions, the company announced via Telegram. Citizens were asked not to switch on several powerful electrical appliances at once. It is not yet known whether there will also be restrictions in the following days.
For safety reasons, Ukraine has now reduced the electricity production of its nuclear power plants. It was a precautionary measure, announced the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, in Vienna.
Although the nuclear plants were not directly affected, stations connected to them were. Only two of the nine operational reactors were currently producing at full capacity, Grossi said after a meeting with the head of the Ukrainian regulatory authority. "The country's energy infrastructure is extremely vulnerable, which has a direct impact on nuclear safety," Grossi said.
Another missile alert in Ukraine
A new missile alert was triggered in the Ukrainian capital Kiev and several regions of Ukraine during the night. "Threat of the use of ballistic weapons", warned the Ukrainian air force on the Telegram platform. The alert was lifted in the early morning. It was not initially known whether missiles had actually flown in or whether targets had been hit.
Drone alert in Russia - two drones for Moscow
A drone alert was triggered in several Russian regions during the night. According to the state agency Tass, Governor Alexander Bogomas announced that 26 Ukrainian drones had been shot down by air defense forces near Bryansk. An alarm was also sounded in Tula, just under 200 kilometers south of Moscow, and in Voronezh. However, no attacks or shootings were reported from these regions.
In the Moscow suburb of Ramenskoye in the south-east of the capital and in the Pvalovo-Posadsky region in the east, one drone each was shot down by air defense, according to Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. No damage was caused by falling debris, he was quoted as saying by Tass.
