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Summary
In addition to the latest news at the Zaporizhzhia plant, here are the main developments:
Ukraine’s counteroffensive in the country’s northeast has inflicted an unusual defeat on Moscow, prompting the Russian military to withdraw thousands of troops after a series of battlefield defeats. Ukraine appears to have regained control of the two key cities of Kupiansk and Izium after a major counter-offensive in the Kharkiv region in recent days, after unfairly outsmarting Russian forces with a much-hyped Ukrainian southern offensive to distract Russia from the real one being prepared in the Kharkiv region. Photos released by Ukrainian security forces show troops raising the national flag in Kupiansk, a major logistics hub for Russian forces in eastern Ukraine where railway lines connecting Russia with eastern Ukraine converge and which, in recent months, supplies the Russian forces in the north – Eastern Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry has confirmed the withdrawal of its troops from Izium, the major base of Moscow’s forces in Kharkiv, saying they are “regrouping” so that efforts can be intensified in Donetsk. The recapture of Izium is perhaps Ukraine’s most significant success in repelling the Russians since the beginning of the invasion. The Ukrainian flag has also been raised in the city of Balaklia, according to the Kharkiv regional governor. The UK Ministry of Defense said Russian forces were “likely taken by surprise” by the counter-attack. The much-publicized attack in southern Ukraine was a disinformation campaign to distract Russia from the real one being prepared in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine’s special forces said. “[Russia] they thought they would be in the south and moved their gear. Then instead of the south, the attack happened where they didn’t expect it, and that caused them to panic and flee,” said Taras Berezovets, a former national security adviser turned press officer for the Bohun brigade of Ukraine’s special forces. In a video address on Saturday, the president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said Ukrainian forces had liberated about 2,000 square kilometers of territory since the counteroffensive against Russia began earlier this month, saying: “The Russian army these days is demonstrating the his best skill – showing his back.” According to the state news agency Tass, residents in Russian-controlled areas in the Kharkiv region have been advised to evacuate Russia. A woman was killed and at least 20 civilians were injured by Russian shelling in the Kharkiv region, according to the regional governor. A resident of Izium, who preferred to remain anonymous, confirmed to the Guardian that Ukrainian troops had entered the town. Before that, “Russian occupation forces were rapidly withdrawing, leaving behind ammunition and equipment.” The UN has said it has documented “torture and ill-treatment” of prisoners of war held by Russian forces in Ukraine. It also said it had confirmed at least 5,767 civilian deaths, although it added that the actual numbers were “likely much higher”. The Ukrainian military said another 350 Russian soldiers have been killed, bringing the total number since the start of the invasion to 52,250. The military also said Russia is also sending 1,300 Chechen fighters to the southern Kherson region. It comes as Western intelligence suggests Russian forces in Kherson are under continued pressure from Ukrainian attacks. Despite gains by Ukraine’s armed forces, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the war was entering a critical period and urged Ukraine’s Western backers to continue their support through a difficult winter.
Today’s shutdown follows the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog saying on Friday that the recent bombing had made the situation “increasingly precarious” as reliable supply was unlikely to be restored. Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), warned that the vital off-site electricity supply to the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant had been destroyed by bombing and there was no chance of a reliable supply being restored. He said the shelling destroyed the switching station of a nearby thermal power plant. The plant has been supplying power to the nuclear facility whenever its normal supply lines have been cut over the past three weeks. The sixth reactor had been operating in “island mode” for the past three days, he said, feeding only its own needs after Russian bombing cut power lines. The restoration of one of these lines on Saturday enabled the operator to take the decision to place the site in the “safest state – cold shutdown”. If the lines continue to be damaged, the plant will rely on backup diesel generators, “the duration of which is limited by the technological resource and the amount of diesel fuel available,” Energoatom said. In a statement posted on Telegram, Energoatom said the sixth and last operating reactor was disconnected from the national grid at 3.41am. and that “preparations are underway to cool and transport it in a cold state.”
Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant shuts down
Work at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine has completely stopped, Energoatom, the state agency in charge of the plant, said on Sunday. The agency said restoring power to the plant allowed it to do the safest thing and shut down its sixth and last operating reactor. Kyiv on Wednesday called on residents of Russian-held areas around the plant, Europe’s largest, to evacuate for their own safety. Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of bombing the nuclear plant, risking a nuclear disaster.
