Despite the massive Russian rocket attacks against energy plants in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sees his country’s troops advancing on the areas occupied by Moscow. The armed forces are advancing on the front line every day, and they cannot be stopped by attacks on the infrastructure from the Russian side, Zelensky said in a video message distributed in Kyiv on Saturday evening. “Ukrainians are united and know very well that Russia has no chance of winning this war.”
Zelenskyj had previously complained about a large number of Russian rocket attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on Saturday. No strike by the “Russian terrorists” could stop the country. “Russian propagandists lie when they say that this terror against our infrastructure and people could somehow slow down the active actions of our military.” Zelenskyy announced that sanctions against Kremlin propagandists are being worked out in coordination with the US.
According to ISW experts, the Russian armed forces continue their withdrawal from western Kherson Oblast and are preparing for delaying actions. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces had completely abandoned their positions in Charivne and Chkalove (both about 33 km northwest of Nova Kakhovka).
At the same time, Russian officers and medics were reportedly being evacuated from Beryslav. Ukraine’s General Staff added that Russian forces are also evacuating patients from the Kakhovka Hospital on the east bank of the Dnipro River, likely to free up hospital beds for Russian service members who may be injured in the retreat.
In view of the severe damage to the energy infrastructure, Selenskyj once again called on the population to save electricity. According to him, the regions of Khmelnytskyi, Odessa, Zaporizhia and Dnipropetrovsk were among the many others affected by the attacks. “The main target of the terrorists is energy,” Zelenskyy said. The stability of supply in the country depends on each city. In some cases, the supply has already been restored.
According to the presidential administration, around 1.5 million customers of the energy supplier Ukrenerho were without electricity in the country. Zelenskyi’s adviser Mykhailo Podoliak said Russia was trying to push Ukrainians into a new mass flight to Europe. “The only way to stop a humanitarian catastrophe is to quickly deliver anti-aircraft systems and additional missiles,” Podoliak said.
In view of the concern that more people from Ukraine will have to leave their homeland before winter, Berlin’s Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey (SPD) sees the capital on the edge of its possibilities when it comes to taking in refugees. “Berlin as the main attraction” has almost exhausted its capacity, she told the “Bild am Sonntag”. 340,000 Ukrainians received first aid in Berlin, and 100,000 are now resident in the capital. “We urgently need more federal real estate to accommodate people well, financial support for the immense costs and fair distribution throughout Germany,” demanded Giffey.
Once again, the Russian border region of Belgorod complained of shelling from the Ukrainian side. Two people were killed in the border town of Schebekino on Saturday, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said. Eleven people were injured, four of them seriously. According to Gladkow, the shelling also hit energy infrastructure. He did not give details. Around 15,000 people were temporarily without electricity, heating and water.
The Belgorod region, along with other border regions such as Kursk and Bryansk, has always complained of fire from the other side since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. Ukraine has not admitted the allegations. Russia had repeatedly threatened to take even tougher action in the war and also to target command centers in Kyiv if the shelling didn’t stop.
Saxon Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer is continuing to hold talks to end the Ukraine war. “It now takes a joint diplomatic effort from the EU, the US, China, India and Japan. This war must be stopped,” said the CDU politician to “Bild am Sonntag.” Such negotiations would not automatically result in Ukraine having to give up parts of its national territory. “There is not a single reason why Ukraine should give up even one square meter of its territory. War damage must be compensated by Russia, war criminals must be held accountable. You have to go into peace talks with this attitude,” said Kretschmer.
Also read: The Ukraine update of 10/22. – Civilians to leave Kherson “immediately”
Volunteer Russian fighters fighting their compatriots in Ukraine may be the vanguard of a future revolution to overthrow Vladimir Putin, according to prominent Russian opposition leader Ilya Ponomaryov.