live blog
Status: 09/01/2022 02:14 am
The US has detained a $45 million plane belonging to the Russian energy company Lukoil. The Ukrainian government is advising people in the east and south of the country to flee before the cold season begins. All developments in the live blog.
2:13 a.m
US confiscates Lukoil plane
The US has detained a $45 million plane belonging to the Russian energy company Lukoil. “The US Court for the Southern District of Texas has approved the seizure,” the US Department of Justice said. The plane flew in and out of Russia in violation of US Commerce Department sanctions against Russia.
1:55 a.m
Pentagon: Ukraine with “certain forward movement” in Kherson
The United States is seeing some progress by the Ukrainian military in its offensive against Russia in the south of the country. “We are aware of Ukrainian military operations that have made some forward movement, and from the Kherson region we know that Russian units are falling behind in some cases,” Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said. With a view to military-tactical considerations, however, he did not want to go into detail. The US would further ensure that Ukraine has all the capabilities to defend itself against Russian forces.
Overall, it is unclear whether Ukraine’s recently announced counter-offensive in the strategically important Cherson region will be successful. The spokeswoman for the southern command of the Ukrainian army, Nataliya Humenyuk, spoke on Tuesday of “position battles” in the Mykolaiv and Cherson regions. It is still too early to talk about possible recaptured places.
1:46 am
Zelenkyj advises situation again with military leadership
Within a few days, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a second meeting with the heads of the army, secret service and police. The military reported on developments at the front, Zelensky said in Kyiv. He did not want to give details. “I’ll just say one thing: in the name of our enlightenment, I would like to thank all our people who are giving us strong support in the south of the country, especially in Crimea.” The secret service is grateful for the information and wants to make maximum use of it, he said in his evening video address.
During the first six months of Russia’s aggressive war, the President rarely spoke of the deliberations in the military leadership. Most recently, he had reported on such a meeting on Sunday, whereupon the intensified Ukrainian attacks in the Russian-occupied Cherson region in the south began on Monday.
1:11 am
Kyiv advises people in the east and south to flee
The Ukrainian government is advising people from the contested areas in the east and south of the country to flee before the cold season begins. “I urgently demand evacuation from Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhia and part of the Kharkiv region before the onset of cold weather,” Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk told Ukrainian television. “Anyone who can should gradually leave as planned.” She also does not advise anyone to return to these areas before next spring, even if the problem of heat supply should be solved. So far, the government has only ordered forced evacuation for the Donetsk region. This is currently being examined for other areas or parts of them, said Wereschtschuk.
The Ukrainian leadership expects a difficult winter because of the Russian war of aggression. In some parts of the country, the supply of heat, electricity and water will not work or will only work to a limited extent due to the damage to the infrastructure.