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Russian strikes have destroyed one of the largest thermal power plants in Ukraine’s east, an energy company has said.
The Zmiiv thermal power plant, in Kharkiv Oblast, was targeted on 22 March during one of the Kremlin’s biggest attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Centrenergo said the damage varied from “complete to significant”. “The enterprise is currently clearing the rubble and has no access to most of the equipment,” it said.
Elsewhere, Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk has warned Europe is in a “pre-war era” reminiscent of 1939 and nobody will feel safe if Ukraine is defeated by Russia.
“For the first time since 1945, war in Europe is becoming ‘real’ again,” he said.
Mr Tusk, a former president of the European Council and recently elected prime minister of Poland, said Vladimir Putin was escalating his war on Ukraine, attacking Kyiv with hypersonic missiles in daylight for the first time earlier this week.
It feels like 1939 again in Europe, says Poland’s Donald Tusk
Europe is in a “pre-war era” reminiscent of 1939 and nobody will feel safe if Ukraine is defeated by Russia, Donald Tusk has warned
“For the first time since 1945, war in Europe is becoming ‘real’ again,” he said.
Mr Tusk, a former president of the European Council and recently elected prime minister of Poland, said Vladimir Putin was escalating his war on Ukraine, attacking Kyiv with hypersonic missiles in daylight for the first time earlier this week.
Matt Mathers30 March 2024 19:01
Air raid warnings across Ukraine as Russia launches barrage of 99 drones and missiles
Russia launched a huge attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on Friday, with a barrage of 99 drones and missiles hitting regions across the country, Ukraine’s armed forces said.
Air raid warnings rang out across the nation, with 10 Ukrainian regions coming under fire, the country’s interior minister, Ihor Klymenko, said.
Russia has escalated its attacks on Ukraine in recent days, launching several missile barrages on the capital, Kyiv, and hitting energy infrastructure across the country in apparent retaliation for recent Ukrainian aerial attacks on the Russian border region of Belgorod. Such sporadic attacks, however, have been common throughout the war.
Tom Watling30 March 2024 19:00
One of eastern Ukraine’s largest thermal power plants destroyed in Russian strikes
One of the largest thermal power plants in eastern Ukraine has been completely destroyed by Russian strikes.
The Zmiiv thermal power plant, in Kharkiv Oblast, was targeted on 22 March during one of the Kremlin’s biggest attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Centrenergo, the company that runs the plant, said the damage varied from “complete to significant”.
“The enterprise is currently clearing the rubble and has no access to most of the equipment,” it said in a statement.
Matt Mathers30 March 2024 19:00
Ukraine and India, a historical ally of Russia, hold talks to strengthen ties
India‘s foreign minister held talks Friday with his Ukrainian counterpart, who was visiting to strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation with New Delhi, which considers Russia a historic ally from the Cold War-era.
Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said in a post on the social media platform X that he and Dmytro Kuleba discussed “the ongoing conflict and its wider ramifications,” and said the two would work together to boost relations between their countries.
Tom Watling30 March 2024 18:00
Ambassadors lay flowers at site of Moscow concert hall massacre
Foreign diplomats in Russia laid flowers on Saturday at the site of last week’s attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed 144 people.
Those in attendance included ambassadors from the United States, EU countries, Africa and Latin America. Russian state news agency RIA Novosti noted that the attendees included representatives of “unfriendly states”.
Since the attack, thousands of people have brought bunches of flowers, wreaths and other tokens such as teddy bears, creating a makeshift memorial at the Crocus City Hall.
Tom Watling30 March 2024 17:00
Ukrainian flag raised by soldiers in ‘grey zone’ towns on border reclaimed
Ukraine’s border guards have raised the nation’s flag over three towns in the “grey zone” on the eastern border with Russia.
Footage shared by the State Border Service of Ukraine shows flags being raised on a number of buildings in the towns of Shabelne, Pischane and Degtyarne.
“The territory of the destroyed villages is densely mined, and due to constant enemy shelling, it is uninhabitable,” a statement, shared alongside the video, read.
“However, border guards of the ‘Steel Border’ offensive guard brigade control the area and remind the enemy that this is our land and he has no place here.”
Ukrainian flag raised by soldiers after ‘grey zone’ towns on border reclaimed
Ukraine’s border guards have raised the nation’s flag over three towns in the “grey zone” on the eastern border with Russia. Footage shared by the State Border Service of Ukraine shows flags being raised on a number of buildings in the towns of Shabelne, Pischane and Degtyarne. “The territory of the destroyed villages is densely mined, and due to constant enemy shelling, it is uninhabitable,” a statement, shared alongside the video, read. “However, border guards of the ‘Steel Border’ offensive guard brigade control the area and remind the enemy that this is our land and he has no place here.”
Tom Watling30 March 2024 16:00
Zelensky dismisses another senior aide
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed a long-time aide and several advisers in a continuing reshuffle while Russia unleashed fresh attacks overnight.
Mr Zelensky removed top aide Serhiy Shefir from his post of first assistant, where he had served since 2019.
The Ukrainian president also let go three advisers and two presidential representatives overseeing volunteer activities and soldiers’ rights.
No explanation was given immediately for the latest changes in a wide-reaching personnel shake-up over recent months.
It included the dismissal on Tuesday of Oleksii Danilov, who served as secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, and Valerii Zaluzhnyi as head of the armed forces on February 8. He was appointed Ukraine‘s ambassador to the United Kingdom earlier this month.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky delivers his evening address in Kyiv
(UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SER)
Tom Watling30 March 2024 15:00
Russia likely recruiting 30k soldiers a month, says British MoD
Russia is “likely recruiting approximately 30,000 additional personnel” to fight its war in Ukraine every month, the British Ministry of Defence has said in its latest intelligence update.
You can read the full statement below.
Tom Watling30 March 2024 13:00
Top Ukraine advisor lists vital weapons needed to fight Russia
Ukrainian presidential advisor Mikhail Podolyak has published a list of weapons vital to his country’s defeat of Russian invaders.
You can see the full statement below.
Tom Watling30 March 2024 12:00
It feels like 1939 again in Europe, says Poland’s Donald Tusk
Europe is in a “pre-war era” reminiscent of 1939 and nobody will feel safe if Ukraine is defeated by Russia, Donald Tusk has warned
“For the first time since 1945, war in Europe is becoming ‘real’ again,” he said.
Mr Tusk, a former president of the European Council and recently elected prime minister of Poland, said Vladimir Putin was escalating his war on Ukraine, attacking Kyiv with hypersonic missiles in daylight for the first time earlier this week.
Tom Watling30 March 2024 11:00
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