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Following the targeted Russian attacks on the Ukrainian power grid, the situation in the port city of Odessa and other regions is difficult, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyj. Despite continued heavy fighting, the course of the front remains unchanged. According to the Ukrainian defense minister, a counter-offensive will change that once the ground is frozen enough to support wheeled and tracked vehicles.

Zelenskyj: Do everything you can to alleviate the situation

Efforts to restore the badly damaged power grid in and around Odessa continue. Sometimes there is again an offer. «At the moment, in Odessa and other cities and regions in the region, it has been possible to partially resume deliveries. We are doing everything we can to get the most out of the Russian hits under these circumstances,” said Zelensky. “But at the moment, the Odessa region is also one of the areas with the most closures.”

Russian forces attacked Odessa on Saturday evening with a wave of Iranian combat drones, knocking the city and the entire surrounding area out of power. According to the official statement, the power outage, which affects several hundred thousand people, can only be fixed with great difficulty. The regional power company said repairs could take two to three months.

“Kiev and its surroundings, Lviv region, Vinnytsia region, Ternopil region, Chernovyts region and Zakarpattia region, Sumy region, Dnepropetrovsk region – the situation remains very difficult,” Zelenskyy said. However, every effort is being made to “relax the situation” and power people.

The Russian army has been focusing on the energy infrastructure for several weeks, causing massive power and water failures. This tactic is designed to put pressure on the population, especially during the cold winter months.

The current developments in the live ticker:

Ukraine’s defense minister announces counter-offensives in the near future

According to the defense minister, the Ukrainian armed forces will resume their counter-offensive against the Russian occupiers if the weather conditions are favourable. The current transition “from dry autumn to not yet icy winter” does not provide favorable operating conditions for wheeled or tracked vehicles,” Minister Oleksiy Resnikov said during a meeting with his Swedish counterpart Pål Jonson in Odessa on Sunday. of frontline activity is due to weather.”

“But the Ukrainian armed forces are not thinking of stopping,” Reznikov said. Rather, they wanted to use the moment when the ground becomes firmer due to frost to continue their counterattacks. Ukraine’s plan is “very simple,” Resnikov stressed. The aim is the liberation of all temporarily occupied territories and the restoration of internationally recognized borders after independence in 1991.

Kiev confirms airstrikes on Russian-occupied territories

Ukraine’s General Staff on Sunday confirmed a series of airstrikes against targets in Russian-occupied areas of the country. In addition, a number of command posts, accommodation and supply camps have been fired on with barrel and rocket artillery since Saturday evening, according to the statement of the military leadership. However, the exact goals were not mentioned. But the Russian air force also carried out attacks on Sunday.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister: No commitment for tank deliveries so far

According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, there are currently no German commitments to supply tanks to Ukraine. “There is no such decision yet. There are no promises. But we are working on it, very openly,” Kuleba said on Sunday in the ARD program “Report from Berlin,” according to the translation. Ukraine does not understand why Germany supplies artillery but no tanks.” As of now, there are projects from Germany. That’s the supply of the Iris-T systems, those are anti-aircraft weapons. The Cheetah tanks are also anti-aircraft weapons. “But right now tanks, as far as I can tell, are know, not on this list. That’s a shame.”

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has so far refused to provide Leopard 2 tanks because no other NATO country has provided such tanks. The US indicated on Friday that it sees no obstacle to this.

Biden assures Selenskyj of further support

US President Joe Biden has pledged continued support to Ukraine. In a telephone conversation with Zelensky, Biden promised that the United States would continue to help the attacked country defend itself against the Russian aggressor. The White House in Washington announced this on Sunday evening (local time).

Macron expresses support for Ukraine’s peace plan

French head of state Emmanuel Macron expressed his full support for Ukrainian peace ideas. In a phone call with Zelenskyj on Sunday, Macron welcomed his peace plan, as the Élysée Palace announced. Selenskyj had repeatedly submitted a peace plan that includes the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine. Troops would also withdraw from the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which has been annexed since 2014. In addition, there are reparations, the legal settlement of war crimes and security guarantees from the West for Ukraine.

That will be important on Monday

The foreign ministers of the EU countries will discuss the latest developments in Iran and in Russia’s war against Ukraine this Monday (1 p.m.) in Brussels. Sometimes Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also needs to be connected via video conference. Originally, another package of sanctions against Russia was to be adopted at the meeting. As discussions on the details were not yet finalized, the formal decision is likely to be taken after the Foreign Ministers’ meeting. (sda/dpa)