WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine's energy system stabilizes, Zelenskiy makes plea for Kharkiv

The Ukrainian energy system that was severely damaged by Russian missile attacks in recent weeks is now almost completely stabilised, and the energy ministry on Sunday said no major imports were expected.

Ukraine's electricity imports reached a record high at the end of March after a string of Russian missile strikes on critical infrastructure caused blackouts in many parts of the country.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday said he had discussed a wave of attacks and bombings on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, with the heads of the Security Service, Defence Intelligence and the Interior minister.

Later, in his nightly video address, the president said the world must "finally hear" the pain inflicted on Kharkiv and other cities by Russian attacks and renewed a call for "political will" to ensure that Ukraine secures proper air defences.

"It is quite obvious that our existing air defence capabilities in Ukraine are not sufficient and it is obvious to our partners," Zelenskiy said. "And the world must finally hear the pain that Russian terrorists are causing to Kharkiv."

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Zelenskiy has for months called on Ukraine's Western partners to provide the systems and munitions he says his country needs to oust Russian troops.

In an interview broadcast on Saturday, he said he still believes that a major U.S. aid package would be approved by Congress, where it has faced Republican opposition for months.

Ukraine has been hit for weeks by a long series of missile attacks on critical infrastructure throughout the country, triggering a record high in electricity imports.

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Since March 22, Russian forces have been attacking Ukrainian thermal and hydropower stations as well as main networks on an almost daily basis, which has led to the blackouts.

Grid company Ukrenergo said Russian drones had damaged the high-voltage network facility in the Kharkiv region overnight and the system operator had to introduce some power cuts.

"Today, Ukrenergo's dispatch centre has been forced to increase the volume of emergency power outages in Kharkiv and the region," the company said on Telegram.

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However, the country's power system remains "stable and balanced," the energy ministry said in a statement.

It said power exports were expected at 115 megawatt hours (MWh) on Sunday while imports could total 1,179 Mwh.

Ukraine imported a record 18,649 MWh on March 26.

National grid company chief Volodymyr Kudrytskyi told Reuters last week that Russian attacks had caused significant damage to the power system, but a total collapse was unlikely.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Western-supplied sea drones destroyed in Ukraine – MOD

The Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday reported it had destroyed several high-value assets in Ukraine, including anti-aircraft systems, a radar, and a stockpile of Western supplied naval drones.

Kiev has been touting its sea drones as a home-grown weapon, which it has repeatedly used to attack Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. However, the ministry described the destroyed assets in its daily briefing as “supplied to Ukraine by NATO countries.”

The Russian military did not provide any further information on the strike, but a major explosion was reported overnight in the Ukrainian city of Odessa, believed to be their primary sea drone base. The blast apparently occurred at the city’s port, followed by multiple secondary detonations.

A separate strike hit a port facility located in the Odessa suburb of Peresyp. The attack is believed to have targeted a fuel depot, with a major fire observed at the facility.

The Defense Ministry also claimed destruction of at least two Soviet-era S-300 anti-aircraft systems, as well as a P-18 very high frequency (VHF) radar. It was not immediately clear whether the radar was an original Soviet-made system or a modern Ukrainian upgrade to it, namely a P-18 Malachite. Thus far, no footage to corroborate the claims has emerged online.

Intense combat continued along the frontline, with the ministry’s daily briefing saying the opposing sides were engaged in artillery duels over the past 24-hour period.

The Russian military has reported striking multiple artillery platforms, including US-made M777 and M119 howitzers, and at least one British-made FH70 towed and one German-made self-propelled PzH2000 howitzer. Multiple Soviet-made artillery pieces, both towed and self-propelled, were reported destroyed and damaged over the past day as well.

Reuters/RT