Washington and its partners are considering additional sanctions if the parties do not observe a ceasefire, with political and technical negotiations between Europe and the U.S. intensifying since last week, Reuters' source said.
The Kyiv Independent’s contributor Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke spent a day with a mobile team from the State Emergency Service in Nikopol in the south of Ukraine as they responded to relentless drone, artillery, and mortar strikes from Russian forces just across the Dnipro River. Nikopol is located across from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the city of Enerhodar.
Peter Szijjarto's announcement came after Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) allegedly dismantled a Hungarian military intelligence network operating in Zakarpattia Oblast.
Moscow and Washington discuss the potential resumption of Russian gas supplies to Europe, among other issues related to the peaceful settlement of Russia's war in Ukraine, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed to the Russian state-run Interfax news agency.
"This is a historic decision, as weapons for Ukraine will be purchased at the expense of the proceeds from frozen Russian assets through the European Peace Fund," Denys Shmyhal said.
The approval marks a key step in international efforts to hold Moscow accountable for what is considered the gravest violation of international law committed against Ukraine.
View of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is under Russian occupation, from the right bank of the Dnipro River. (Photo: Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
As of Aug. 13, Ukraine has repaired 80% of the main power grids and high-voltage stations damaged by Russian attacks to their pre-war condition, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal reported.
He added that 62% of the planned repair work on power units has been completed at the country's thermal power stations. In addition, 32 units at the hydroelectric power stations have either been repaired or are undergoing repair work.
“We are preparing for winter," Shmyhal said. "We understand the high chances that the Russians will continue large-scale attacks on the energy system.”
According to Shmyhal, five out of nine damaged power units at Ukraininan nuclear power plants have already been repaired.
“The repair campaign is going in accordance with the plan. We are creating multi-level protection for energy facilities,” Shmyhal said.
In November of last year, Russia severely hit almost half of Ukraine’s energy system. On Nov. 15 alone, the Russian military launched about 100 missiles targeting energy infrastructure in Kyiv and 10 regions across the country.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
Kenneth Rogoff
