Smoke rises from an Ukraine electricity plant hit by a Russian strike (CNN)

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With Ukraine Invasion in Trouble, Russia Moves Forces Out of Syria

Wednesday’s Coverage: Russia’s Commander — “Difficult Decisions” Ahead in Occupied Kherson

Source: CNN

UPDATE 1722 GMT:

Following the European Union’s lead earlier on Thursday (see 1027 GMT), the UK has sanctioned three Iranian actors — and Shahed Aviation Industries, the company supplying drones for Russia’s attacks across Ukraine.

Those cited are Chief of Staff of Iran’s armed forces, Maj. Gen. Mohammed Hossein Bagheri; Revolutionary Guards logistics officer Gen. Sayed Hojatollah Qureishi; and drone commander Brig. Gen. Saeed Aghajani. They are subject to asset freezes and travel bans.

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

Iran’s support for Putin’s brutal and illegal war against Ukraine is deplorable. Today we are sanctioning those who have supplied the drones used by Russia to target Ukrainian civilians. This is clear evidence of Iran’s destabilising role in global security.

These cowardly drone strikes are an act of desperation. By enabling these strikes, these individuals and a manufacturer have caused the people of Ukraine untold suffering. We will ensure that they are held to account for their actions.

UPDATE 1027 GMT:

The European Union has confirmed sanctions against Iranian individuals and a company over the supply of drones to Russia for its attacks on Ukraine’s civilians.

UPDATE 0724 GMT:

Ukrainian forces have destroyed 14 Iran-made “kamikaze drones” in Russian attacks on the port city of Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine overnight.

Governor Vitaliy Kim said there were also S-300 missile strikes but “no casualties or destruction” with “only lawns spoilt”.

The Russian strikes seriously damaged an industrial company and energy infrastructure in Kryvyi Rih in the Dnipropetrovsk region early Thursday.

A major thermal power station in Burshtyn in western Ukraine suffered “quite serious” damage from a strike on Wednesday.

UPDATE 0719 GMT:

The latest Russian attacks have killed one civilian and injured five in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.

UPDATE 0658 GMT:

Responding to Vladimir Putin’s declaration of martial law in occupied areas of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has advised citizens to avoid forced conscription into the Russian army.

In the near future, the occupiers will try to recruit men into their army. Everywhere is the same as in Donetsk and Luhansk. Please avoid it as much as you can. Try to leave the occupied territory.

If you cannot do this and find yourself in Russian military structures, at the first opportunity try to lay down your arms and come to Ukrainian positions. And most importantly, protect your life. And be sure to help our other people who are close to you. Our common task is to persevere. Stand against these weirdos.

Russian State TV broadcast footage on Wednesday of long lines of people and their luggage being moved — some analysts say deported — on the banks of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region in southern Ukraine.

Pro-Kremlin outlet Mash quoted a “volunteer”: “People are getting on the ferry and going to the temporary accommodation centers. After that, the people are directed to where they want to go. They either stay on [the other] shore or go to the Russian Federation.”

UPDATE 0642 GMT:

As Russian authorities plan to move 60,000 residents out of the occupied parts of the Kherson region in southern Ukraine, UK military intelligence assesses that Russian commanders are “seriously considering a major withdrawal of their forces from the area west of the Dnipro river”.

The Russians are hoping to prevent the forces from being cut off from those to the east of the 1000m river, but the British analysts note the challenge:

With all the permanent bridges severely damaged, Russia would highly likely rely heavily on a temporary barge bridge it completed near Kherson in recent days, and military pontoon ferry units, which continue to operate at several locations.

UPDATE 0612 GMT:

At the UN Security Council, the US, Britain, and France have set out the “abundant evidence” of Russia using Iranian-supplied drones to attack Ukraine’s civilian sites and infrastructure.

The US State Department said in a statement:

We expressed our grave concerns about Russia’s acquisition of these UAVs from Iran.

We now have abundant evidence that these UAVs are being used to strike Ukrainian civilians and critical civilian infrastructure.

We will not hesitate to use our sanctions and other appropriate tools on all involved in these transfers.

The US has extended sanctions on Iranian individuals and entities in response to the attacks. The European Union has drafted a list including three senior Iranian military commanders and the company which develops the Shahed-136 “kamikaze” drones.

The Russian Deputy Ambassador to the UN, Dmitry Polyanskiy, threatened the organization if it investigates the use of the Iranian drones.

Insisting Moscow is the victim of “baseless accusations and conspiracy theories”, he told UN Secretary General António Guterres and his staff to “abstain from engaging in any illegitimate investigation. Otherwise, we will have to reassess our collaboration with them, which is hardly in anyone’s interests.”

Iran Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani defied the evidence to reject the “unfounded and unsubstantiated claims”. He declared that Tehran wantes a “peaceful resolution” of Vladimir Putin’s invasion.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Government is restricting electricity supplies amid Russia’s missile and drone strikes on infrastructure.

In his nightly address to the nation, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced the restrictions from 7 am.

Of course, we will do everything possible to restore the normal energy capabilities of our country. But it takes time. And this requires our joint efforts. Tomorrow they are needed even more than before….

Please do not turn on unnecessary electrical appliances. Please limit your electricity consumption and use those appliances that consume a lot of energy. Tomorrow, it is very important that the consumption is as conscious as possible, and thus the schedules of stabilization blackouts will be shorter.

The President said, “We assume that Russian terror will be directed at energy facilities until, with the help of partners, we ensure the ability to shoot down 100% of enemy missiles and drones.”

The Russian attacks on civilian sites since October 10 have knocked out almost 1/3 of power plants. Three more facilities were destroyed on Wednesday.

To preserve the grid, there will be rolling blackouts and conservation. The deputy head of Zelenskiy’s office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, wrote that the measures apply “to residents of ALL regions of the country. If this is not done, you should prepare for temporary shutdowns.” He added that street lighting will be limited in cities as Ukraine prepares for “a hard winter”.

Ukraine’s national energy company advised citizens to “charge everything” by 7 am, expecting blackouts of up to four hours at a time.

Preparations have been made to ensure hospitals and military sites have backup generators. Zelenskiy said on Wednesday that mobile power points will be established.