At a press conference on September 19, Ms. von der Leyen announced a €160 million ($178 million) aid package to help Ukraine prepare for winter. Of this, €60 million will be allocated to humanitarian aid, including providing shelter and heating systems, and €100 million will be used to restore energy infrastructure. The EU also aims to restore 2.5 GW of electricity capacity for Ukraine and increase exports to provide Ukraine with an additional 2 GW of electricity. A power plant currently being dismantled in Lithuania will also be rebuilt in Ukraine.
Russia advances in Donetsk despite Ukraine's campaign in Kursk.
According to Reuters, Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure have crippled 9 GW of Ukraine's power generation capacity, including 80% of its thermal power output and one-third of its hydropower output. The Ukrainian Energy Ministry stated that 10 regions were at times forced to cut off power due to Moscow's airstrikes and technical malfunctions.
Ursula von der Leyen (front, second from the left) arrived in Kyiv on September 20.
PHOTO: Leyen's X account
Russia and Ukraine have recently engaged in attacks targeting each other's energy facilities. On September 19, Ukrainian officials reported that Russian troops had bombed energy facilities in Sumy (Sumy province, northeastern Ukraine). Kyiv stated that Moscow had launched multiple attacks on the energy system in Sumy province this week, causing power outages in several areas and forcing authorities to use backup power.
Sumy is an area bordering Russia's Kursk province, where Ukrainian troops have been conducting an incursion since early August and intense fighting with Russia continues. Yesterday, TASS reported that units of Russia's Chechen Akhmat special forces destroyed a Ukrainian armored personnel carrier and an ammunition depot in Kursk. Earlier, on September 19, the Akhmat commander announced the recapture of two villages in Kursk. Ukraine has not commented on this information.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported yesterday that its air defense systems were active in several areas and intercepted 61 out of 70 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), shooting down one of four Russian missiles overnight. Moscow has not yet responded to this statement.
The US wants to discuss strategy with Ukraine.
Kyiv has recently been lobbying its Western allies and partners to lift restrictions on the use of long-range weapons to attack Russian territory. Russian officials have emphasized that appropriate retaliatory measures will be taken if the West facilitates Ukraine's deep penetration into Russian territory. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said yesterday that the West needs to stop supplying weapons to Ukraine if it is truly serious about finding a solution to end the conflict. In related developments, the White House announced that US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on September 26th.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/eu-mang-tin-vui-den-cho-ukraine-18524092022540462.htm
Comment (0)