Day 272: Ukraine to Evacuate Kherson and Mykolaiv Residents Amid Bleak Winter
Facts
- Ukrainian officials have begun to evacuate residents of the southern regions of Kherson and Mykolaiv, fearing that the loss of water, heat and power caused by Russian strikes will make conditions unlivable amid the bleak winter cold. Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said accommodation, transport and medicine would be provided, with priority given to women with children, along with the sick and the elderly.
- Sergey Kovalenko, CEO of DTEK Yasno, one of Ukraine's principal energy providers, warned Ukrainians to brace for rolling blackouts across the country until March 2023. "Although there are fewer blackouts now, I want everyone to understand: Most likely, Ukrainians will have to live with blackouts until at least the end of March," he said.
- Meanwhile, the US State Dept.'s ambassador for global criminal justice, Beth Van Schaack, on Monday alleged that Russia's invasion of Ukraine, "has been accompanied by systemic war crimes committed in every region where Russian forces have been deployed," adding: "It's very hard to imagine how these crimes could be committed without responsibility going all the way up the chain of command."
- In the meantime, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), in coordination with National Police and the National Guard, carried out a raid of a 1,000-year-old, Russian-backed Orthodox Christian monastery in Kyiv on Tuesday. It said: "These measures are being taken … as part of the systemic work of the SBU to counter the destructive activities of Russian special services in Ukraine."
- On the ground, Russian attacks were reported in the regions of Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia in the last 24 hours. Ukrainian officials said four civilians were killed and four were injured in Donetsk, while three people were killed and 10 were injured in Kherson. One person was killed and two more were injured in Kharkiv.
- Elsewhere, the Associated Press on Monday fired James LaPorta — the journalist responsible for a story citing a US official who alleged that it was a Russian missile that landed in Poland last week. A subsequent report, citing three officials, said it was likely a Ukrainian air-defense missile.
Sources: Associated Press, France24, Guardian, Ukrinform, and Daily Beast.
Narratives
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by CNBC. Russia's deliberate targeting of energy infrastructure is unnecessarily increasing the suffering of civilians and amounts to war crimes. This continuing Russian barbarity must be confronted.
- Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by Tass. Attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure are a direct consequence of the failure of the country's leadership to meaningfully engage in peace talks. These strikes will stop once a more sober position on the current military situation is reached.