Day 237: Russia Continues Targeting Ukrainian Energy Infrastructure; 13 Dead in Russian Warplane Crash
Facts
- Russian attacks again pounded energy infrastructure across Ukraine on Tuesday, striking facilities in Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Zhytomyr. Preliminary information suggested that at least two people were killed and five were injured in Kyiv, while two people were injured in Zhytomyr.
- On Twitter, Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the strikes as "another kind" of Russian terror attack. He also stated that 30% of Ukraine's power stations have been destroyed since Oct. 10 and added that, as a result, there was, "no space left for negotiations with Putin's regime."
- Meanwhile, further Russian strikes were reported in the regions of Sumy, killing at least five civilians, and Mykolaiv, where one civilian was reportedly killed. Ukrainian officials have also reported that the death toll from a Russian attack on Kyiv on Monday has risen to five people.
- Elsewhere, after a Russian fighter jet crashed into an apartment complex and sparked a large fire in Yeysk – a port town located in Russian territory close to Crimea and Mariupol – local officials reported that 13 people had been killed and that a further 19 had been injured. One of the two pilots could allegedly be seen parachuting to safety after ejecting from the Su-34 warplane.
- Russia's defense ministry has said of the incident that one of the plane's engines caught fire shortly after takeoff during a training mission and that both pilots survived. An investigative committee said on Tuesday that the crash was caused by violations of flight and preparation rules, adding that the blackbox had been retrieved and that pilots were being questioned. It further stated that a criminal case on the matter has been opened.
- Meanwhile, at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), Ukraine's state-controlled energy company Energoatom accused Russia of kidnapping two employees of the facility. Last week, Russia detained the head of the ZNPP, Ihor Murashov, who allegedly confessed to passing information to Ukrainian intelligence before being released. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have since confirmed that he will not continue in his role at the ZNPP.
Sources: Pravda, Guardian, and Tass.
Narratives
- Anti-Russia narrative, as provided by AP. Ukrainians that have so far survived Putin's brutal bombings will soon have to endure another humiliating challenge thanks to Russia's illegal invasion: surviving the sub-zero temperatures of winter with no heat or electricity. Ukraine must focus on repairing the energy infrastructure targeted by Russian strikes if civilians are to be protected from the deprivation that may lie ahead.
- Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by Newsweek.Russia's response to Ukraine's actions has so far been restrained, but the nation has warned countless times that its patience is not infinite. Moscow's tough response to ongoing terrorist attacks - including the strike on the Crimean Bridge - has been long coming, and the only people to blame for the suffering of Ukraine's civilians are the political and military leaders complicit in terror attacks on Russia.