Ukrainian drones target energy infrastructure on Crimea

The city of Sevastopol on the Russia-controlled Crimean Peninsula has been attacked by Ukrainian drones, in an attempt to damage energy infrastructure, local authorities said on Tuesday.

Russian-installed Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev said that anti-aircraft units had been deployed and two drones were shot down. They had been targeting an electricity and heating plant in the Balaklava district.

Russia's Black Sea Fleet intercepted three more drones over the sea near the port city.

As the naval base of the Black Sea Fleet, Sevastopol is strategically important for Moscow. Ukraine has already attacked the city several times with combat drones from the air, as well as once from the sea with remote-controlled unmanned boats.

Even though there was no major damage, Russia took the precaution of moving some of its ships to the port of Novorossiysk on the mainland.

Damage inflicted on Ukraine's own energy infrastructure dominated the war on Tuesday amid renewed concerns about safety at a long-disputed nuclear plant and basic questions of how the country will keep the heat on during the coming winter.

Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, which is occupied by Russian troops, was in the news after the area around it came under shelling once more, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Tuesday, according to the Interfax news agency.

On Monday - the day of a special inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) - eight large-calibre shells were fired at an industrial part of the nuclear power plant, ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said.

The information could not initially be independently verified. Konashenkov did not give a precise time for the attack. He merely stated that the radiation level was still normal.

On Monday, there was no information from the IAEA about a possible renewed artillery bombardment of the nuclear power plant. No such information came from Kiev either.

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi had appealed to both sides to establish a safe zone around the facility where no attacks and fighting takes place. Intensive negotiations with both sides had not yet led to an agreement, he said.

Russia has effectively controlled Europe's largest nuclear power plant since the beginning of March, when troops occupied large parts of southern Ukraine.

The Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant has repeatedly come under fire in recent months. Ukraine and Russia blame each other.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is struggling to come to terms with the large-scale destruction of its energy system in the wake of widespread Russian bombardment.

Nearly all thermal and hydroelectric power plants in Ukraine have been damaged due to Russian missile attacks in October and November, the head of the Ukrainian power grid operator Ukrenergo, Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, told a press conference in Kiev.

In addition, all important nodes of the power grid have been hit.

"The extent of the destruction is colossal," Kudrytskyi underlined. Nevertheless, he said, repairs have succeeded in stabilizing the system again since Saturday. More are scheduled and there are hardly any emergency power cuts.

Given the problems with the grid, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky again called on citizens to save energy.

Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko, in comments to German tabloid Bild, predicted that the capital would see its worst winter since World War II in the coming months, due to power cuts.

Russia invaded Ukraine almost nine months ago. After considerable setbacks on the front, Moscow began targeted attacks on the country's electricity supply.

In recent months, the Ukrainian army has made notable advances in recapturing occupied territory, having liberated about 1,880 villages since the start of the war, according to the deputy head of the presidential office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko.

However, about 2,000 Ukrainian towns and villages still need to be liberated from Russian troops, Zelensky told French local politicians in a video address.

In Brussels, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the commission has approved a further €2.5 billion ($2.57 billion) to support Ukraine.

The commission also plans to spend €18 billion for Ukraine for 2023, with funding disbursed regularly, von der Leyen tweeted.

The money is intended for "urgent repairs and fast recovery leading to a successful reconstruction," the German politician wrote.