Russian attacks were reported across large areas of Ukraine on Thursday, with heavy shelling in quite a few regions damaging infrastructure, including electricity supplies to Europe’s largest nuclear plant, Ukrainian officials said.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine has again been disconnected from the facility grid after Russian shelling damaged the remaining high voltage lines, leaving it with just diesel generators, Ukraine nuclear firm Energoatom said.
The plant, in Russian hands but operated by Ukrainian staff, has 15 days’ value of fuel to run the generators, Energoatom said.
Russian strikes were also reported in Kriviy Rih, in central Ukraine, and in Sumy and Kharkiv, within the northeast. Heavy fighting was ongoing within the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.
“The enemy is attempting to keep the temporarily captured territories, concentrating its efforts on restraining the actions of the Defence Forces in certain areas,” Ukraine’s general staff said on Thursday.
Russia has said it targeted infrastructure as a part of what it calls its “special military operation” to degrade the Ukrainian military and take away what it says is a possible threat against Russia’s security.
In consequence, Ukrainian civilians have endured power cuts and reduced water supplies in recent weeks. Russia denies targeting civilians, though the conflict has killed 1000’s, displaced hundreds of thousands and left some Ukrainian cities in ruins.
Foreign ministers from the G7 group of wealthy democracies will discuss how best to coordinate further support for Ukraine once they meet on Thursday in Germany following recent Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.
The attacks come after Russia said it could resume its participation in a deal freeing up grain exports from Ukraine, reversing a call that world leaders warned would increase hunger globally.
Russia, whose forces invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, announced the reversal on Wednesday after Turkey and the United Nations helped keep Ukrainian grain flowing for several days with no Russian role in inspections.
The defence ministry justified the resumption by saying it had received guarantees from Ukraine that it could not use the Black Sea grain corridor for military operations against Russia.
“The Russian Federation considers that the guarantees received in the meanwhile appear sufficient, and resumes the implementation of the agreement,” the ministry said in an announcement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was essential to arise to “crazy Russian aggression that destabilises international trade”.
“After eight months of Russia’s so-called special operation, the Kremlin is demanding security guarantees from Ukraine,” Zelensky said in his nightly video address.
“This is actually a remarkable statement. It shows just what a failure the Russian aggression has been and just how strong all of us are once we maintain our unity.”
The grain deal, originally reached three months ago, had helped alleviate a worldwide food crisis by lifting a de facto Russian blockade on Ukraine, certainly one of the world’s biggest grain suppliers. The prospect of it collapsing this week revived fears of a worsening food crisis and rising prices.
The costs of wheat, soybeans, corn and rapeseed fell sharply on global markets after Russia’s announcement.
Zelensky credited Turkey and the United Nations for making it possible for ships to proceed moving out of Ukrainian ports with cargoes after Russia suspended participation on Saturday.
Russia suspended its involvement within the deal saying it couldn’t guarantee safety for civilian ships crossing the Black Sea after an attack on its fleet. Ukraine and Western countries called that a false pretext for “blackmail”, using threats to the worldwide food supply.
Within the south, a Ukrainian counter-offensive has left Russian forces fighting to carry their ground around the town of Kherson, where Russian-installed authorities are urging residents to evacuate, the Ukrainian military said.
Residents who had collaborated with occupying forces were leaving and a few departing medical staff had taken equipment from hospitals, it said.
Residents of the town of Nova Zburivka had been given three days to go away and were told that evacuation could be obligatory from Nov. 5.
Russian authorities have repeatedly said Ukraine could possibly be preparing to attack the large Kakhovka dam, upriver on the Dnipro, and flood the region. Kyiv denies that.
“Obviously, we’re afraid of this. That’s the reason we’re leaving,” resident Pavel Ryazskiy, who was evacuated to Crimea, said of the chance the dam could possibly be destroyed.
Reuters was unable to confirm the battlefield reports.
In Washington on Wednesday the US said it had information that indicated North Korea is covertly supplying Russia with a “significant” variety of artillery shells for the war.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby didn’t provide evidence but he told a briefing that North Korea was attempting to obscure the shipments by funneling them through the Middle East and North Africa.