According to Western security circles, Ukraine is making progress with a counter-offensive in the Kherson region in the south of the country. Kyiv reports massive Russian troop transfers to Cherson and neighboring areas. According to US estimates, Russia has already suffered tens of thousands of victims. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that he intends to support Europe in the looming energy crisis with electricity exports. And US Secretary of State Blinken wants to speak to his Russian counterpart for the first time since the war began. For Ukraine it is the 155th day of the war.
Western circles see progress in Ukraine’s struggle
Ukraine is making progress in its counter-offensive, Western security circles said on Wednesday. During the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, the Ukrainians again hit a bridge over the Dnipro River, which is an important supply route for Moscow. “The river crossing is now completely impassable,” it said. On the Russian side there are serious problems with supplies and the morale of the armed forces. “In our view, an operational pause is inevitable,” said a senior Western official.
Looking at the bridge over the Dnipro River in southern Kherson Oblast, which was bombed by Ukrainian forces, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said in his evening video address on Wednesday that everything would be rebuilt after the recapture. “We will liberate our entire country with military, diplomatic and every other available tool.”
Ukraine reports massive Russian troop deployments
According to a senior adviser to Zelenskyy, Russia is undertaking a “massive redeployment” of troops towards the three southern regions of Kherson, Melitopol and Zaporizhsia. Advisor Oleksy Arestovych also confirms earlier statements by pro-Russian forces that the country’s second largest power plant is in Russian hands.
Estimate: About 75,000 Russians killed or injured
In the war against Ukraine, the number of casualties on the Russian side has long been in the tens of thousands, according to US estimates. “We were informed that more than 75,000 Russians were either killed or injured, which is enormous,” CNN quoted Elissa Slotkin, a Democratic House Representative who previously attended a secret US government briefing.
Ukraine wants to support the EU with electricity
In view of the energy crisis in Europe, Zelenskyy offered the EU support with electricity from his country. “We are preparing to increase our electricity exports to consumers in the European Union,” he said. “Our export not only allows us to earn foreign exchange, but also allows our partners to resist Russian energy pressure,” he said, referring to Russia’s significantly reduced gas supplies. “We are gradually making Ukraine one of the guarantors of European energy security, precisely through our domestic electricity production.”
Russia’s energy giant Gazprom had again reduced gas supplies through the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline due to alleged technical problems on Wednesday – this time to 20 percent of the maximum volume. Since imported gas is also used to a small extent to generate electricity, a debate has broken out about a possible extension of the service life for nuclear power plants in Germany. Proponents hope that this will result in more gas and heat for private households, industry and public institutions in winter.
US Secretary of State Blinken wants to talk to Lavrov
For the first time since Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine began, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wants to speak to his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. Blinken said at a press conference in Washington on Wednesday that the phone call “in the coming days” should be about the release of US basketball player Brittney Griner and her compatriot Paul Whelan, who were imprisoned in Moscow. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced in the evening that there was no official request for such a talk. Instead of using the “megaphone” for diplomacy, Washington should stick to diplomatic practice, Moscow said.
Grain agreement to be implemented
Blinken announced that they would also talk to Lavrov about compliance with the new agreement on the protected export of grain from Ukraine. “The agreement is a positive step forward, but there is a difference between an agreement on paper and an agreement in practice,” Blinken said.
On Friday, Ukraine and Russia signed an agreement with the UN and Turkey to allow grain exports from three Ukrainian ports across the Black Sea. According to Ukrainian sources, more than 20 million tons of grain from last year’s harvest are still waiting to be exported. Port operations were suspended for security reasons after the Russian invasion at the end of February. Ukraine also mined its coast to protect against Russian landings. The ports have since resumed work.
What will be important on Thursday
You can read all further developments in our live ticker on the Ukraine war.
