Live blog: Odessa without power after drone attack by Russia

 

An overnight attack left the southern Ukrainian port city without power, local authorities say as the conflict enters its 289th day.

Only critical infrastructure including hospitals and maternity wards in Odessa had access to electricity. (AFP Archive) 

Saturday, December 10, 2022

Ukraine's Odessa without power after Russian drone attack

The southern Ukrainian city of Odessa has been left without power following an overnight attack by "kamikaze drones" launched by Russia, authorities said.

"As of now, the city is without electricity," Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the presidential administration, said on messaging app Telegram, adding that the situation "is under control".

Maksym Marchenko, the regional governor, said Russia had attacked the city with "kamikaze drones" overnight. Two drones were shot down by Ukrainian air defence units, Marchenko added.

Russian-held Kherson to withdraw hryvnia from circulation

The Russian-backed administration of Ukraine's Kherson region has announced  that it has begun changing locally circulated Ukrainian hryvnia currency into Russian roubles, with hryvnia circulation in Moscow-controlled areas of the region to end on January 1.

In a video published on Telegram by the region's Moscow-backed administration, Andrei Peretonkin, head of the Russian central bank's local branch, said: "For the sake of the convenience of residents and to allow for a smoother integration of the region into the Russian economic space, this week banks in Kherson region began currency exchange operations."

Previously, the administration had said that both the rouble and hryvnia would be accepted in Kherson region.

Russia grinds on in eastern Ukraine, Bakhmut 'destroyed': Zelenskyy

Russian forces have “destroyed” the eastern city of Bakhmut in Ukraine's Donbass, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, while Ukraine's military reported missile attacks, about 20 airstrikes and more than 60 rocket attacks across Ukraine."The occupiers actually destroyed Bakhmut, another Donbass city that the Russian army turned into burnt ruins,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address without specifying what he meant by “destroyed” — and some buildings remain standing and residents still mill about in the city streets.

Spokesperson for the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces, Oleksandr Shtupun, said the most active fighting was in the Bakhmut district, where more than 20 populated places came under fire.

 

62% of Russian missile strikes were on Ukrainian civilian targets – Zelenskyy

Some 62 percent of Russian missile strikes on Ukraine have been on civilian targets, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said at a conference in the capital Kiev, emphasising that Moscow “specifically targeted" civilians.

Putin says Russia could adopt preemptive strike concept

President Vladimir Putin has said Russia could amend its military doctrine by introducing the possibility of a preemptive strike to disarm an enemy, in an apparent reference to a nuclear attack.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, just days after warning that the risk of nuclear war was rising but Russia would not strike first, Putin said Moscow was considering whether to adopt what he called Washington's concept of a pre-emptive strike.

Putin said Moscow might need to think about adopting the idea "for ensuring their own security" while adding that they were "just thinking about it".

Australia warns Russia, Iran of consequences 

Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong has said the government would place targeted sanctions on Russia and Iran in response to what it said were "egregious" human rights violations and Tehran's drone transfer to Moscow. 

Seven Russians involved in what Wong said was the attempted assassination on former opposition leader Alexey Navalny would also have human rights sanctions imposed on them, she said, along with Magnitsky-style sanctions on 13 individuals and two entities in Iran over their crackdown on protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini.

In addition to human rights sanctions, Wong said Australia was placing further targeted financial sanctions on three Iranians and one Iranian business for supplying drones to Russia for alleged use against Ukraine.

"The supply of drones to Russia is evidence of the role Iran plays in destabilising global security. This listing highlights that those who provide material support to Russia will face consequences," Wong said in the statement jointly issued with Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Tim Watts.

 Source: TRTWorld and agencies 

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