Mark Rutte, the new NATO Secretary General, warned on October 8 that Ukraine could face its most difficult winter since the beginning of the full-scale invasion as it prepares for further Russian attacks against the energy infrastructure.
“Russia continues to launch massive strikes against Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure.” “Ukraine could be facing its worst winter since the full scale invasion began,” Rutte stated during a joint press conference with Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
Officials in Ukraine have warned that Moscow has been preparing to strike against Ukrainian nuclear facilities before the winter months. It is hoping to bring the country to a cold spell to break the Ukrainians’ will.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, said that between March and August this year, Russia destroyed all thermal power stations and almost all hydroelectric capacities in Ukraine. He made these remarks on September 25 at the U.N. General Assembly, in New York.
Rutte stated that “NATO will do more” to help Ukraine.
Rutte said, “The more we provide in terms of military support, the quicker this war will end”, without directly stating what additional support might look like.
The European Commission‘s President Ursula von der Leyen said on September 19, that the EU is aiming to cover around 4.5 Gigawatts in energy capacity this winter. This would be about 25% of Ukraine’s needs for winter.
According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), Ukraine’s electricity shortfall could reach 6 gigawatts as a result this winter, which is approximately one-third of its peak demand.
Rolling blackouts were necessary due to energy deficits in the summer and fall. Some officials have warned that Ukrainians could have electricity for up to 6-7 hours a day during the winter.
Rutte made his first surprise trip to Kyiv on October 3, as the chief of the Alliance. He began his tenure as Secretary General on October 1.
In excerpts from Bob Woodward’s book “War”, published on Oct. 8, the U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris encouraged President Volodymyr Zelensky to create a succession plan for the event that he was killed or captured.
The local military administration reported that on October 8, Russia used guided bombs to attack the Esman community, located in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy Oblast, killing two civilians.
The U.S. military’s top commander in Europe Gen. Chris Cavoli has compiled a list of American weapon systems that could help Ukraine fight Russia, but which the Biden Administration has yet to provide.
Senior U.S. intelligence officials have warned that American voters will likely face a surge in misinformation and influence campaigns orchestrated from U.S. enemies.
Denys Shmyhal, the Prime Minister of Donetsk Oblast, said that Russia had stolen more than 180,000 tonnes of Ukrainian grain from the port of Mariupol.
According to Bob Woodward’s book, the former U.S. president Donald Trump secretly sent Putin the COVID-19 test device for personal use when the coronavirus epidemic began in 2020.
Biden was to convene in Germany a meeting of leaders of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on October 12, where President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected present his victory plan.
Local authorities reported that Russian forces used guided aerial bombs to attack a densely-populated area in Kharkiv on Oct. 8. At least two people were killed and five others injured.
“We believe this issue, the extension of the Russian sanctions should be decided after U.S. election.” We need to see what direction the new U.S. administration takes on this issue,” said Mihaly Varga, Hungarian Finance minister.
Oleksandr Ohrimenko, commander 72nd Mechanized Brigade, said: “The enemy had superiority on tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and artillery systems as well as anti-tank weapons and personnel.”
The police announced on October 8 that the head of an inter-district Center for Medical and Social Experts located in Kyiv would appear in court for allegedly issuing fake disability certificates.
The Foreign Office of the United Kingdom announced on October 8 that sanctions were issued against Russian units who used chemical weapons in the battlefield in Ukraine.
In a post shared on the official account of the Cuban Foreign Ministry’s X page, Carlos M. Pereira said that Cuba had officially requested to be a BRICS ‘Partner Country.’ This was done through a formal letter sent to Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia.
The documentary of Anastasia Trofimova has been criticized by many for what they perceive to be an attempt to whitewash Russians who were involved in the war.
“As Russia has signed a treaty with North Korea that is similar to a military alliance,” South Korean Defense minister Kim Yong-Hyun told the parliament.
The governor initially claimed that Russia used KAB air bombs, but later clarified the type of weapon still being determined.
Regional authorities reported that Russian attacks in Ukraine have killed at least 3 people and injured 50 others, including children, over the past 24 hours, according to regional authorities.
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