UPDATE ON THE SITUATION – Russia launched one of the most massive attacks in recent months against Ukraine on the night of Thursday to Friday, killing several people, according to the Ukrainian president.
Li Hui believes that major differences persist between Ukraine and Russia over peace negotiations. One person was killed and several others were injured in a Ukrainian strike on the Russian region of Belgorod… Le Figaro explains the situation related to the conflict to you.
700,000 people deprived of electricity says kyiv
Oleksii Kuleva, deputy head of Volodymyr Zelensky’s cabinet, said Friday morning “that currently 700,000 consumers are deprived of electricity” after Russian attacks on the Ukrainian power grid in many regions. “We are working to restore power and water to people and businesses. The situation is particularly difficult on the left bank of the Dnieper River »he explained in a message posted on Telegram.
Massive Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure led to power cuts in at least seven regions of the country on Friday morning, Ukrainian operator Ukrenergo said.“Dozens of electrical installations were damaged. Emergency cuts in seven regions. Power system receives emergency assistance from three countriesindicated this source in a press release on Telegram, specifying that the situation “The hardest” concerned the regions of Kharkiv (east), Odessa (south), Kirovograd (center) and Dnipropetrosvk (central-east).
Deaths after massive Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine
Russia launched one of the most massive attacks in recent months against Ukraine on the night of Thursday to Friday. “There were more than 60 Shaheds (a type of explosive drone, editor’s note) and almost 90 missiles of different types”listed Zelensky on social networks, presenting his “condolences to the families of those killed by this terror”without specifying the results of these strikes. “At the moment there are two dead and at least eight injured in Khmelnytsky” western region, indicated for its part the Ukrainian Ministry of the Interior, “there are also six injured in Zaporizhia (south, Editor’s note), three people are missing at the site of the attacks”he clarified.
According to the Ukrainian president, the attacks targeted “power plants, high voltage lines, a hydroelectric dam, residences and even a trolleybus”.
One of the two power lines supplying the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia, occupied by Moscow, was cut by a bombing, Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko also announced on Friday. “This situation is extremely dangerous and threatens to trigger an emergency situation, because in the event of a disconnection of this last line of communication with the national electricity grid, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant will be on the verge of a new blackout -out», warned Energoatom, the Ukrainian operator. The Minister of Energy judged that the nighttime bombing of the country was “the biggest attack on the Ukrainian energy industry in recent times”.
The Ukrainian president told him that Russia had targeted Kharkiv and its region, as well as the regions of Zaporizhia, Sumy (north), Poltava and Dnipro (center), Odessa (south), Khmelnytsky, Vinnytsia and Frankivsk (west). The Ukrainian Air Force said that the anti-aircraft defense was able to shoot down 55 out of 63 Shaheds and 37 out of 88 missiles.
FSB claims to have foiled attack in Zaporizhia region
The Russian security services (FSB) claimed on Friday to have foiled an attack, prepared according to Moscow by the Ukrainian special services in the Zaporizhia region (southern Ukraine), partially controlled by Russia. “An attack which was planned in Berdyansk, in the Zaporizhia region, by the Ukrainian special services with the help of a Russian citizen whom they had recruited (…) was foiled”the FSB said in a statement.
This Russian, born in 1974, was involved in the murder of a Russian army officer during an explosion in October 2023, the statement said, also accusing him of having handed over “to the enemy” data on the positions of Russian forces. “He opened fire during an attempted arrest and was killed by retaliatory gunfire”, specifies the FSB, adding that a pistol and ammunition had been seized at the scene. A homemade explosive device was then discovered during a search of his home, according to the same source.
China sees “a significant gap” between Russia and Ukraine on talks
Major differences persist between Ukraine and Russia over peace negotiations, said the Chinese envoy for the Ukrainian question, Li Hui, in Beijing on Friday, returning from a mission in Europe. China, which presents itself as a neutral party but whose relationship with Russia has deepened since the start of the conflict, regularly calls for a political settlement to end the fighting in Ukraine. To achieve this objective, diplomat Li Hui made a ten-day visit to Russia, the European Union and Ukraine at the beginning of March.
“All parties recognize the danger of seeing the current situation continue to deteriorate”, Li Hui said at a press conference. However, “there is a significant gap (between them) on the issue of peace talks”he continued. “But all agree that the war must be resolved by negotiations rather than by arms”specified the diplomat, adding that they “expect China to play a greater constructive role” about this question.
China has been criticized by Westerners and particularly Europeans on the Ukrainian issue. Because if she calls for respect for the territorial integrity of all countries – including Ukraine – she has never publicly condemned Russia. Heavily sanctioned by the West because of its offensive against Ukraine, Russia, for its part, is seeking to strengthen its already very close ties with China.
Russia: one dead and injured in strike on Belgorod region
One person was killed and several others were injured Friday morning in a strike on the Russian region of Belgorod, bordering Ukraine and targeted by numerous attacks, the local governor said. “A strike again. Unfortunately, one person died.”wrote Vyacheslav Gladkov on Telegram, specifying that the victim was a woman. “There are injured”, he indicated. According to initial reports, the strike damaged three medical facilities and several houses, Gladkov added.
For its part, the Russian Defense Ministry indicated that it had destroyed eight rockets fired by the Vampire rocket launcher system coming from Ukraine on Friday morning above the Belgorod region. The Belgorod region has recently been targeted by numerous drone attacks and strikes blamed by Russia on Ukraine, which have left more than a dozen dead in a week according to local authorities.