A Russian soldier at the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine, August 4, 2022 (Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters)

EA-War and Politics 24 VideoCast: Ukraine and Russia — Has Putin Lost All His Friends?

Saturday’s Coverage: Zelensky — “We Are Speaking Frankly to Allies About Air Defense”

UPDATE 1057 GMT:

At least five civilians have been killed and at least 30 injured by Russia attacks across Ukraine over the past day.

Air defenses downed 167 of 201 drones launched by Russia overnight. Thirty drones struck 15 locations.

In the Kharkiv region in the northeast, three civilians were killed and injured 11. Civilian infrastructure, including energy facilities in Kharkiv city, were damaged amid nighttime temperatures of -16C (3F).

In the Kherson region in the south, two civilians were murdered and one wounded.

Casualties were also reported in the Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Sumy regions.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky commented:

This week alone has seen more than 1,300 attack drones, around 1,050 guided aerial bombs and 29 missiles of various types in total. That is why Ukraine still needs more protection – above all, more missiles for air defense systems. If Russia is deliberately dragging out the diplomatic process, the world’s response must be decisive: more assistance for Ukraine and more pressure on the aggressor.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine’s officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, have warned of potential Russian strikes on the country’s active nuclear plants.

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After a briefing from head of military intelligence Oleh Ivashchenko, Zelensky said of Russia’s assault on energy infrastructure.

We do not see any willingness on the part of the aggressor to comply with any agreements or end the war.

Instead, there is ample information about preparations for further Russian strikes on our energy sector and infrastructure, including facilities and networks that serve our nuclear power plants. Each such Russian strike on the energy sector amid such a harsh winter weakens and undermines the efforts of key states – in particular the United States – to end this war.

Earlier in the day, the military intelligence service HUR warned of Russian plans to strike substations connected to Ukraine’s three active nuclear plants in the west and south of the country.

Russia escalating its assault on other energy facilities such as thermal power and hydroelectric plants, forcing extended cuts of power and heating amid temperatures as low as -20C (-4F). Moscow’s strategy is “to force Ukraine to accept unacceptable capitulation demands to end the war”, HUR said.

The agency said Russian forces have conducted reconnaissance of 10 critical energy substations in nine regions. The UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency has said it will send a team to assess the substations, but has not set a date.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha posted:

“Russia is always trying to disconnect our nuclear plants, and it’s really dangerous for nuclear safety, not only for Ukraine but for the whole of Europe,” Vitaliy Zaichenko, the CEO of Ukraine’s grid operator Ukrenergo, summarized.

Russia overran the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine, Europe’s largest with six reactors, in March 2022 in the first weeks of its full-scale invasion.

The reactors at the plant, used by Russia as a base for its forces, have been dormant since then. However, strikes on power lines have threatened the cooling of the reactors and a possible meltdown.

Latest Russian Strikes Cut Power in Kyiv Region

Russia struck energy infrastructure in the Kyiv and Odesa regions late Friday into Saturday. Power was cut to more than 20 settlements in the Kyiv region were left without power.

At least two civilians were murdered and others injured in the Kharkiv region in northeast Ukraine during Saturday. A strike on a critical infrastructure facility in Kharkiv city’s industrial district could seriously affect power and heating, said Mayor Ihor Terekhov, with the energy system “constantly operating at its limits”.

Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said officials have instructed state energy companies to purchase imported electricity covering at least 50% of consumption.

Shmyhal said Lithuania will provide Ukraine with more energy generating equipment for Kyiv and the most critically-affected regions, after already supplying equipment for emergency repairs on coal and nuclear power plants.

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We have received over 2,000 solar panels, various equipment and machinery from our Lithuanian friends.

Lithuania has contributed €5.7 million to the energy support fund of Ukraine….

There is not a single power plant left in Ukraine that has not been hit by Russian strikes. Ukrainian energy workers continue to repair around the clock and return electricity to people.