At least 200,000 users without power in Kharkiv and nearby regions after Russian strikes, Ukrainian officials say
More than 200,000 electricity consumers in Kharkiv city and a regional district are without stable power supply following Russian strikes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address on Sunday.
Oleh Sinegubov, head of the Kharkiv regional state administration, confirmed the number of disconnected electricity subscribers in a Google-translated update on Telegram, adding that a schedule of power outages is in effect at Kharkiv and eight regional communities.
Zelenskyy separately assessed that Russian forces deployed 190 missiles and nearly 140 Iranian-make Shahed drones against Ukraine over the last week, as well as launched almost 700 guided aerial bombs.
CNBC could not independently verify these reports.
— Ruxandra Iordache
Putin’s focus on Ukraine may leave Russians exposed to real security risks, foreign policy fellow warns
Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s hyper focus on Ukraine could expose Russians to more security threats, warns Maximilian Hess, fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute.
Hess’ comments come after a terrorist attack at a concert hall in Moscow left more than 130 people dead, according to Reuters. Islamic State terrorist group said it was behind the attack. Russian forces have stressed a potential link between the responsible gunmen and Ukraine, while Kyiv denies any involvement.
“Putin is so obsessed with this conflict in Ukraine that I think he’s going to focus his security response there and use this, essentially, as an excuse to try to build up that narrative,” Hess told CNBC’s “Capital Connection,” stressing that the “whole security apparatus has been focused on Russia’s war in Ukraine.”
He noted that the Islamic State has previously carried out attacks in Moscow and St. Petersburg and may be motivated by Moscow’s operations in Syria.
“What’s interesting though is that Putin doesn’t seem to be focusing on that aspect of it. He’s very much trying to blame Ukraine for this attack. There’s no evidence of Ukrainian involvement, it doesn’t fit in line with the types of attacks that Kyiv has carried out in the past, including ongoing,” Hess said. “That will itself leave Russians less secure, because he’s focusing on a non-real security risk.”
— Ruxandra Iordache
Moscow attack suspects appear in court
Four men Russia says were involved in the deadly shootings at a concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow Friday night appeared in court late on Sunday.
The men, three of whom confirmed as Tajik nationals, were charged with committing an act of terrorism when they appeared in the Basmanny district court late last night. They’re accused of carrying out an attack in the Crocus City Hall concert venue in which 137 concertgoers were killed and at least 140 were injured.
A man suspected of taking part in the attack of a concert hall that killed 137 people, the deadliest attack in Europe to have been claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group, sits inside the defendant cage as he waits for his pre-trial detention hearing at the Basmanny District Court in Moscow on March 25, 2024.
Olga Maltseva | Afp | Getty Images
The suspects, identified as Saidakrami Murodali Rachabalizoda, Dalerdzhon Barotovich Mirzoyev, Shamsidin Fariduni and Muhammadsobir Fayzov, will be detained in custody until May 22, pending trial, the court said on Telegram. The suspects may face life in prison if found guilty, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.
One of the suspects was brought into court in a wheelchair while another had a bandage removed from his face, revealing a black eye. Another appeared dazed and disoriented, video footage of the suspects released by the court showed.
— Holly Ellyatt
Russian power plant units shut down after fire, governor says
Two units at the Novocherkassk thermal power plant in Russia’s southwestern Rostov region were shut down early Monday morning after a fire, the region’s governor said.
“Due to the fire, the 330 kV high-voltage lines — Tikhoretskaya and Rostovskaya — were automatically switched off,” Rostov Governor Vasily Golubev said on Telegram.
Farmers stand next to a combine as they create symbols “Z” and “V” in a field in support of the Russian armed forces involved in a military conflict in Ukraine, during the start of wheat harvesting in the Rostov region, Russia July 1, 2022. The sign on the combine reads: “Strength is in truth”.
Sergey Pivovarov | Reuters
It’s unclear whether the fire at the plant was linked to a purported Ukrainian drone attack against the region overnight; Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Telegram that its forces had intercepted 11 Ukrainian drones over Rostov.
CNBC could not independently verify the report and Ukraine has not commented on the attacks.
— Holly Ellyatt
Emergency power shutdowns in Ukraine’s Odesa after Russian attack
Emergency power outages were introduced in Ukraine’s port of Odesa on Monday after a Russian air attack damaged one of the high-voltage facilities there, Ukraine’s top energy provider DTEK said on Monday.
“The situation remains difficult,” DTEK said on the Telegram messaging app. “In order to reduce the load on the network, electric transport will not operate in the city today, and industrial consumption is also limited.”
The port of Odesa on July 20, 2022.
Bulent Kilic | Afp | Getty Images
The administration of Odesa said on Telegram that the city and the region were attacked by several waves of drones launched by Russia. Four of the air weapons were shot down over the Odesa and neighbouring Mykolaiv regions.
Debris from a falling drone sparked a fire at the power facility, which was promptly put out, the administration added.
DTEK said power was restored by Monday morning to two city districts.
— Reuters
