Ukrainian forces have seized an expanding area of previously Russian-held territory in the eastern Kharkiv region after a surprise counteroffensive was launched this week.
Ukraine’s rapid territorial gains have caught Russia off guard at a vulnerable section of its front line in an attack that threatens an important supply hub used by Russian forces in the east, military analysts said.
Fighting
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces liberated more than 30 settlements in the Kharkiv region and battles continued in the eastern Donbas as well as the southern Kherson area.
- Zelenskyy met the head of Turkish defence firm Baykar and said it would establish a factory in Ukraine to build drones. Baykar’s Bayraktar TB2 drone has been deployed against Russian artillery systems and armoured vehicles.
- British military intelligence said Ukrainians are closing in on the town of Kupiansk, which would be a blow to Russia as the town sits on supply routes to the Donbas front line.
Energy
- European Union energy ministers gave the European Commission the task of pressing ahead with a cap on the revenues of non-gas power producers benefitting from soaring energy prices, while backing away from capping Russian gas prices.
Grain
- Russia’s foreign ministry said a deal to unblock Ukrainian grain exports via the Black Sea is being fulfilled “badly” and its extension, due in late November, will depend on how it is further implemented, RIA news agency reported.
- The United States is working with the United Nations to address Russian complaints that sanctions are hindering its food and fertiliser shipments, even though there has been no disruption to Moscow’s exports, a senior US official said.
Nuclear
- Shelling has destroyed power infrastructure in the city of Enerhodar where staff operating the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant live, posing a growing threat to the plant, the UN nuclear watchdog said.
- A draft resolution that diplomats say Poland and Canada have prepared ahead of next week’s meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s board calls on Russia to cease all actions at Ukraine’s nuclear facilities.
Diplomacy
- German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock has arrived in Kyiv on a surprise visit, which she said was to demonstrate Berlin’s unwavering support for Ukraine in its battle against Russia.
- US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stressed the need for a broad coalition of partners to help Ukraine recover and rebuild after Russia’s war, with a focus on near-term, high-impact projects.
Economic losses
- Russia’s invasion caused more than $97bn in direct damage to Ukraine through June 1, as well as $252bn in losses through disruptions to its economic flows and production, and extra expenses linked to the war, according to a report released by the World Bank, Ukrainian government and European Commission.
