Could the Russian’s be leaving the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear plant?
Zelensky pleads for more Western weapons…..
The Ukraine puts utilities energy back on line after rocket attacks…
Russian troops dig in against possible Ukraine offensive aimed at closing on the Crimea….
Ukraine forces keep finding Ukraine bodies in retake territories…
Russian’s keep firing on Kherson…
Ukraine forces are now hunting and shooting at the Iranian made drone ‘s….
Here’s what we know:
Mr. Zelensky requested more military aid for Ukraine to preserve what remains of its battered energy grid, including more air defense systems to protect against Russian missiles and Iranian-made drones.
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Russian forces are fortifying lines of defense in southern Ukraine, a new report says.
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The Kremlin tries to tamp down speculation that its forces will leave the Zaporizhzhia plant.
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E.U. diplomats meet again on a plan to cap the price of Russian oil but can’t strike a deal.
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Ukraine warns of a new wave of Russian strikes.
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Belarus’s architect of Western outreach dies suddenly, state media reports….
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Here’s the latest on the war and its ripple effects across the globe.
- Russia postponed nuclear treaty talks with the United States that were set to start Tuesday in Cairo, the State Department said Monday. The two parties were meant to discuss the resumption of inspections for the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty, which limits and regulates the world’s two largest nuclear powers. A State Department spokesperson told The Washington Post that Russia “unilaterally” postponed the meeting and would propose new dates, while the United States is ready to reschedule for the earliest possible moment.
- The United States will announce steps to help Ukraine withstand Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure, U.S. officials said Monday. A senior State Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told reporters that 25 to 30 percent of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure had been damaged by Russian missiles and drone attacks. “Our desire is to ensure that the Ukrainians have the tools they need to respond as quickly as possible, so Putin cannot achieve through these humanitarian targets what he’s failed to achieve on the battlefield,” the official said.
- European diplomats said they would try to move forward with U.S.-backed plans to cap the price of Russian oil in a Monday meeting in Brussels after talks last week stalled over what the price cap level should be.
- The electricity situation is “under control” across most of Ukraine, with only scheduled stabilization blackouts in effect, Zelensky said, after energy workers rallied to repair the damage from airstrikes on infrastructure last week.
- A large, high-level delegation of foreign ministers of Baltic and Nordic nations visited Kyiv on Monday to discuss support for Ukraine. The group discussed tightening sanctions, reconstructing energy infrastructure and supporting Ukraine financially. Zelensky said they also agreed on further cooperation in the defense sphere and reconstruction projects.
- Russian forces may be preparing to exit the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the head of Ukraine’s national nuclear operator said in an interview with Ukrainian media Sunday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied the claims Monday, saying the facility was still under Russian control. “There is no need to look for any signs where there are none,” he said.
- Daily bombardment continues in Kherson, Britain’s Defense Ministry said in its Monday update, with 54 shelling incidents reported Sunday. The city, which was retaken by Ukrainian forces on Nov. 11, is vulnerable because it is within the range of Russia’s artillery systems on the east bank of the Dnieper River.
- Russians fired 258 times on 30 settlements in Kherson in one week, Zelensky said Monday. He also noted that the Russians damaged a pumping station that supplied water to Mykolaiv.
- Fighting along the front lines is likely to pick up once the ground freezes over in the coming weeks, making it easier to maneuver without getting bogged down in muddy conditions, according to the Institute for the Study of Warthink tank. Both sides have indicated in recent battlefield reports that their operations have slowed throughout eastern and southern Ukraine, including in Svatove, Bakhmut and Vuhledar.
- Zelensky called the situation on the front lines “very difficult,” especially in the eastern Donetsk region, which has been at the center of fighting in recent weeks. “To endure now and defend ourselves now is to endure and defend ourselves for generations to come,” he added.
- NATO foreign ministers are set to meet in Bucharest on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss support for Ukraine as well as “other partners facing Russian pressure,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, naming Bosnia, Georgia and Moldova.
- The U.S. State Department approved a possible military sale of tactical weapons to Finland Monday. “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of a trusted partner,” the department said a press release. “It is vital to the U.S. national interest to assist Finland in developing and maintaining a strong and ready self-defense capability.”…