LIVE – Ukraine: kyiv says it has received new air defense systems

Ukraine on Monday received new Western air defense systems intended to counter Russian missiles that regularly rain down on cities and infrastructure across the country, causing water and electricity cuts as winter approaches.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense also announced that the Ukrainian state would take control of several companies “of strategic importance” in order to help the war effort, including the producer of hydrocarbons Ukrnafta and the aircraft manufacturer Motor. Sich.

After several series of Russian strikes which left hundreds of thousands of people without power, the authorities of the kyiv region, the Ukrainian capital, spoke of a “tense” situation for the energy supply.

The regional military administration called on residents to “use electricity sparingly”, while the operator Ukrenergo had to make “emergency stops”.

Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said on Twitter on Monday that kyiv was not closed to negotiating with Russia. While specifying that such negotiations could only take place if Vladimir Putin were to no longer preside over the Russian Federation.

“Ukraine has never refused to negotiate. Our position is known and open: first, Russia withdraws its troops from Ukraine. Then will come the rest. Is Putin ready? Clearly, no. Therefore , we are constructive in our position: we will speak with the next leader of the Russian Federation,” he wrote.

The occupation administration of Kherson, quoted by the Russian agency Tass, indicated that the supply of water and electricity to Kherson had stabilized.

This city in eastern Ukraine has been occupied by Russian forces since the start of the conflict. But faced with the advance of troops from kyiv who are leading a counter-offensive in the region, the civilians had to be evacuated by Moscow.

On Sunday, the city’s electricity and water supply was suspended after strikes for which Moscow and kyiv blame each other.

The Ukrainian state will take control of several companies “of strategic importance” in order to help the war effort, including the producer of hydrocarbons Ukrnafta and the aeronautical manufacturer Motor Sich, announced Monday the government.

“The decision has been taken to expropriate the assets of strategically important companies and bring them into state ownership,” Ukrainian Security Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov told a press conference. .

Ukraine announced on Monday that it had received new air defense systems from the United States, Spain and Norway, intended to counter Russia’s massive bombardments targeting critical infrastructure.

“NASAMS and Aspide air defense systems have arrived in Ukraine! These weapons will significantly strengthen the Ukrainian military and make our skies safer,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov tweeted.

The Ukrainian general staff said it had repelled several attacks carried out by the Russian army, on at least eight different localities during the last 24 hours, reports the Kiev Independent.

These various attempts have all taken place in eastern Ukraine, in the Donbass region, where the majority of military activities are concentrated.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia remained “open” to talks, as the report says. Guardian.

While specifying that discussions with Ukraine could not take place for the moment, kyiv having expressed its refusal to negotiate with Moscow, while the army of Volodymyr Zelensky continues its counter-offensive in the East of the country.

In its daily note on the conflict in Ukraine published on social networks, the British Ministry of Defense returned to the inability for Moscow to take control of Ukrainian airspace.

“Russia’s continued inability to take control of the air is exacerbated by poor pilot training and inexperienced crews,” write the Brits.

“This is not likely to change in the coming months. (…) The time required to train competent pilots reduces Russia’s ability to regenerate its air combat capabilities,” the statement concluded.

In an address to the Ukrainian people on Sunday evening, Volodymyr Zelensky spoke of continued “mass attacks” on Ukrainian energy facilities by the Russians.

“We see that the terrorist state is concentrating its forces and means to carry out possible repeated attacks on our infrastructure, and in particular energy,” he said.

The occupied city of Kherson is deprived of electricity for the first time since the beginning of the war, after two strikes for which Russians and Ukrainians send the responsibility.

Russian officials say Ukraine is planning a second offensive to retake occupied territories in the Kherson region.

The head of the Kherson regional administration, Yaroslav Yanuschevitch, blamed the Russians for the cuts. He assured that in the city of Beryslav about 1.5 km of power lines were destroyed.

In the Ukrainian capital, where power cuts have become legion in the face of Russian strikes targeting energy installations, residents are trying to find alternatives.

From now on, when a neighborhood is hit by a power cut, residents wander the streets, armed with flashlights or their mobile phones.

AFP met Irene Rozdoboudko and Igor Jouk, a couple from Kiev. To light up, the couple uses decorative candles that they had for a long time and flashlights. In the bathroom, it’s a camping lamp.

The Ukrainian capital is preparing for a winter without heating or electricity. Rotating power cuts are planned in some neighborhoods on Monday.

This Sunday, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitshko said: “I want to address the people of Kyiv, I want them to consider all possible scenarios, even the worst of them.”

Welcome to this live broadcast dedicated to the conflict in Ukraine.