Russian attacks on Ukraine continue. In many places, critical infrastructure is the target of rockets. The Ukrainian President is asking his compatriots to save electricity so as not to overload the grid. Zelenskyy brushed aside threats from Moscow in other matters.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the fighting in the Donbass is concentrated in the two towns of Bakhmut and Soledar. Fierce fighting was taking place there, he said in his nightly video speech. Soledar is just north of Bakhmut, a target of Russian troops in recent weeks. Otherwise, the head of state had no news to report.
He asked his compatriots to save electricity. “Due to Russian missile terror, in some cities and regions of Ukraine it is necessary to limit electricity supply in order for the whole system to work stably,” he said. It is particularly necessary to save electricity during the peak hours in the evening, as otherwise there would be overloads and the electricity companies would be forced to switch off.
Against the background of increasing threats from Moscow to end the grain agreement, Zelenskyj emphasized its importance for the fight against hunger. Although the war continues to hamper exports, Ukraine has exported almost eight million tons of food by sea since the Grains Agreement came into force. “That’s more than 300 ships. 60 percent of the amount went to Africa and Asia.” He announced that he would continue to expand exports.
Just a few days ago, Russia threatened to stop the grain deal and block the Ukrainian ports again. There are two reasons for this. In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke of a “rip-off”. The agreement regarding the easing of sanctions against Russian food and fertilizers is not being observed. Most recently, the Kremlin chief also cited the thesis that Ukraine probably smuggled the explosives for the attack on the Crimean bridge by sea. Selenskyj countered this with the importance of Ukrainian grain exports for fighting hunger.
