Day 277: Ukraine Races to Restore Electricity Around Kyiv; Russian Report on NATO Weapons Issues
Facts
- Electricity has been restored to 90% of residential buildings in Kyiv, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko as heavy snowfall bears down on the Ukrainian capital and expects to persist until mid-week. Millions of people in and near the city are struggling with access to heat in the wake of Russian attacks on power supplies.
- On Saturday, Ukrainian President Zelensky also announced $150M had been collected from a summit for the "Grain from Ukraine" initiative, which aims to export Ukrainian food products to African nations. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she “welcomed the extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative for 120 days.”
- Meanwhile, the official Russian state media cited a report suggesting that US and NATO military support for Ukraine was allegedly running into logistical challenges, including weapons overuse, maintenance, and resupply challenges. The report also alleges that NATO may utilize factories in Slovakia, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic to manufacture Soviet-era shells for Ukraine.
- On the ground, Russian forces have reportedly hit targets in Kherson province over 50 times throughout the past weekend. Much of the city of Kherson is without power with Ukrainian officials working on rapid restoration.
- In addition, a Russian strike on the city of Kryvyi Rih in the southern Dnipropetrovsk region has reportedly destroyed transportation infrastructure, according to Ukrainian officials. Artillery and grenade attacks were also reported in the city of Nikopol.
- Russian official state media also reported that Ukrainian offensives were repelled in regions including Donetsk and Luhansk, and also that a Russian strike on mercenaries operating in Donetsk killed approximately 100 foreign fighters.
Sources: Al Jazeera, CNN, Sputnik, DW, and Tass.
Narratives
- Anti-Russia narrative, as provided by CNBC. Russia's deliberate targeting of energy infrastructure — which is unnecessarily increasing the suffering of civilians — 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 attacks will stop once a more sober position on the reality of Ukraine's slim chance of military success is reached.