Topline
Ukrainian officials on Sunday accused Russia of causing electric blackouts across much of eastern Ukraine, as Ukraine’s military touts the recapture of critical territory in formerly Russian-occupied areas of the country’s northeast.
Volunteer soldiers attend a training outside Kyiv, Ukraine.
Key Facts
The regions of Donetsk and Kharkiv are facing total blackouts, while the Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk and Sumy regions are also affected, President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted Sunday, alleging Russian forces were aiming to “deprive people of light & heat.”
Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram a strike on an infrastructure facility in the city of Kharkiv—the second-largest city in Ukraine—had left many people without power and water, claiming it was Russia’s “vile and cynical revenge” for Ukraine’s recent military successes in the region.
The blackouts come after Ukraine’s military said it had retaken more than 1,000 square miles of previously Russian-held territory in eastern Ukraine since the beginning of the month, primarily in the Kharkiv region, forcing Russian forces to retreat from key cities like Izyum.
Ukraine continues to make advances in the northern part of the Kharkiv region, which borders Russia, as well as to the south and east, Ukrainian commander in chief General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi said on Telegram Sunday.
Tangent
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant shut down its last working reactor Sunday to try to avoid a nuclear disaster, according to Energoatom, the power plant operator. More damage to transmission lines at the plant—which has faced weeks of shelling that both Russia and Ukraine have blamed one another for—could force operators to rely on emergency diesel generators to keep the cooling systems running, but the plant only has enough diesel fuel for 10 days, Energoatom’s chief told the Associated Press. Officials have raised concerns that fighting near the plant, which is currently controlled by Russia’s military but operated by Ukrainian staff, could lead to a catastrophe. United Nations officials this week called for a demilitarized zone near the facility, as Zelensky and the International Atomic Energy Agency have also urged.
Key Background
Ukraine said Saturday its troops advanced into Russian-controlled parts of Kharkiv and retook territory at a rapid pace, possibly marking one of the biggest victories for the country since it blocked Russian forces from capturing the capital city of Kyiv early in the six-month-long war. Russia has not offered an explanation for Ukraine’s gains, but acknowledged Saturday its troops had retreated from Balakliia and Izyum, two key hubs for Russian forces in the north, to allow for time to regroup. Ukraine has been bolstered by military aid from a host of western countries, including the U.S., which most recently announced more than $2 billion in assistance to Ukraine and its allies this week. The announcement came as Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kyiv and said during his trip Ukraine’s military efforts had been “proving effective” against Russia. Blinken pledged continued support for Ukraine until it is “fully sovereign and independent.”
Further Reading
Last reactor at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant stopped (ABC News)
Ukraine hails snowballing offensive, blames Russia for blackouts (Reuters)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/madelinehalpert/2022/09/11/revenge-ukraine-blames-russia-for-power-blackouts-as-ukrainian-troops-retake-territory/