(Reuters) – A third Russian airfield was ablaze on Tuesday from a drone strike, a day after Ukraine demonstrated an apparent new ability to penetrate hundreds of kilometers deep into Russian air space with attacks on two Russian air bases.
FIGHTING
* A drone struck an airfield in the Russian region of Kursk bordering Ukraine, setting fire to an oil storage tank, the regional governor said.
* Russia said three of its military personnel were killed on Monday in what it said were Ukrainian drone attacks on two Russian air bases hundreds of miles from the front lines in Ukraine. Kyiv did not directly claim responsibility.
* Ukraine’s military intelligence chief said Russia had enough high-precision missiles to conduct several more big air strikes on Ukraine before it runs out of stocks.
* Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said Ukraine was continuing to shell the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, deliberately creating the threat of a possible nuclear disaster. Ukraine denies shelling the Russian-controlled facility.
* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited troops close to front lines in the eastern Donbas region to mark the country’s Armed Forces Day on Tuesday.
* Russia and Ukraine said they had exchanged 60 prisoners of war on each side in the latest of a series of such swaps.
* Opposition representatives from five Russian regional councils sent appeals urging President Vladimir Putin to issue a decree to end the partial military mobilisation he announced in September to boost Moscow’s invasion force in Ukraine.
ENERGY
* About half the region surrounding the Ukrainian capital will remain without electricity for the coming days after the latest Russian missile strikes on power facilities, the Kyiv regional governor said.
* Ukraine aims to significantly reduce the power deficit caused by the Russian strikes by Tuesday evening, Energy Minister German Galushchenko said.
* The Biden administration is convening a virtual meeting on Thursday with oil and gas executives to discuss how the United States can support Ukrainian energy infrastructure, according to a letter seen by Reuters.
DIPLOMACY
* Russia said it could agree with the United States about the need for lasting peace in Ukraine, but played down the prospect of negotiations until it achieves the goals of its “special military operation”.
QUOTES
“Very often Russians smoke in places where it’s forbidden to smoke,” said Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleskiy Reznikov, repeating a longstanding Ukrainian joke that explosions at Russian bases are caused by careless cigarette smokers.
(Compiled by Gareth Jones)
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibilty for its content.