Russian drone strikes have broken a thermal energy plant in Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine in a single day, leaving 46,000 customers with out heating as temperatures plunge under freezing, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal mentioned.
“This was carried out intentionally to depart folks with out warmth in sub-zero temperatures and create a humanitarian disaster,” Shmyhal mentioned on the Telegram messenger app.
Russia attacked Ukraine with 143 drones in a single day, however the Ukrainian army mentioned it shot down 95 of them, whereas 46 didn’t attain their targets, seemingly due to the usage of electromagnetic countermeasures that disrupt drone assaults.
A minimum of one individual was injured within the in a single day assaults which additionally broken homes within the Kyiv area, Ukrainian officers mentioned. The temperature in Mykolaiv is anticipated to fall to minus 7 levels Celsius (19.4 Fahrenheit) on Sunday night time.
Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford, reporting from Kyiv, mentioned the Ukrainian military introduced it has seen an “uptick in assaults by Russian forces” over the previous 24 hours.
“Usually … we’ve seen no actually massive positive aspects made by Russian forces for months now – however no indication that the preventing goes down,” he mentioned.
Defend the world ‘from evil’
On the sidelines of the three-day Munich Safety Convention, which concludes on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Western allies to spice up Ukraine’s air defence.
Zelenskyy mentioned Russia now holds 20 p.c of Ukraine and is slowly advancing within the east as Moscow’s full-scale invasion nears its third anniversary.
He cited information displaying that over the previous week, Russia had unleashed about 1,220 aerial bombs, over 850 drones, and greater than 40 missiles into government-controlled areas of Ukraine.
There was no instant remark from Russia.
“Europe and the world have to be higher shielded from such evil and ready to confront it,” Zelenskyy mentioned in a Telegram publish.
“This requires a robust, united international coverage and strain on Putin, who began this battle and is now increasing it globally,” he mentioned.
“Along with Europe, the US, and all our companions, we are able to finish this battle with a simply and lasting peace.”
United States President Donald Trump shocked European allies and Ukraine this week by calling his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, with out consulting them or Kyiv beforehand and declaring a direct begin to peace talks.
Issues ‘transferring shortly’
Trump’s Ukraine envoy, Basic Keith Kellogg, mentioned on Saturday that Europe will not have a seat at the table for Ukraine peace talks after Washington despatched a questionnaire to European capitals to ask what they may contribute to safety ensures for Kyiv.
Al Jazeera’s James Bays, reporting from Munich, mentioned an emergency assembly of international ministers of the European Union “swiftly convened” over considerations that they – in addition to Ukraine – is perhaps sidelined within the US-led peace talks with Russia which are anticipated to happen in Saudi Arabia within the coming days.
Nevertheless, French Overseas Minister Jean-Noel Barrot advised France Inter radio on Sunday that President Emmanuel Macron would host the assembly as deliberate.
5 European diplomats mentioned the assembly would come with France, the UK, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain and Denmark, which might symbolize Baltic and Scandinavian international locations.
“There can’t be something [done] with out Ukraine and likewise something with out Europe,” mentioned Estonian Overseas Minister Margus Tsahkna.
He additionally confirmed that leaders would meet on Monday.
“Issues are transferring shortly,” he advised Al Jazeera. “We have to be positive and clear about what we’re going to do.”
He mentioned European international locations can nonetheless ship “assist” and “funds” that they’ve promised.
On Saturday, Zelenskyy known as for the creation of a European military, arguing the continent may now not make certain of US safety and would solely get respect from Washington with a robust army.
In response, Polish Overseas Minister Radoslaw Sikorski mentioned in an interview that European international locations won’t create one unified military in response to threats from Russia.
Requested about the opportunity of the creation of a European military, Sikorski advised state broadcaster TVP World, “We ought to be cautious with this time period as a result of folks perceive various things.”
“In the event you perceive by it the unification of nationwide armies, it won’t occur,” he mentioned. “However I’ve been an advocate for Europe, for the European Union, to develop its personal defence capabilities.”
