US accuses Putin of ‘weaponising winter’ as Russian missiles pound Ukraine | 5 factors

United States Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield mentioned Russian President Vladimir Putin is “weaponising winter” to inflict extra harm on Ukraine in a bid to “freeze the country into submission”.

New Delhi,UPDATED: Nov 24, 2022 08:18 IST

Rescuers work at a website of a residential constructing destroyed by a missile assault, as Russia’s assault on Ukraine continues. (Photo: Reuters)

By India Today Web Desk: The US on Wednesday accused Vladimir Putin of ‘weaponising winter’ as Russia cripples Ukraine’s energy grid with missile strikes, plunging the war-torn nation into darkness and chilly as winter units in.

Following the newest spherical of Russian missile strikes, Ukraine referred to as for a “very firm reaction” at a United Nations Security Council assembly, however the council is unlikely to take any motion in response to the enchantment since Russia is a member with veto energy.

Russia has mentioned the intention of its missile strikes is to weaken Ukraine’s potential to combat and push it to barter. But Ukrainian officers imagine that assaults on infrastructure quantity to battle crimes, intentionally supposed to hurt civilians and to “break the national will”.

Here are the newest developments within the Russia-Ukraine battle in 5 factors.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, talking on the UNSC emergency assembly, referred to as the Russian missile strikes a “crime against humanity”.

“When we have a temperature below zero and scores of millions of people without energy supplies, without heating, without water, this is an obvious crime against humanity,” Zelenskyy mentioned.

But Russia has rejected what it referred to as “reckless threats and ultimatums” by Ukraine and mentioned the ability grids had been broken by Ukrainian missiles that landed in civilian areas.

The missile barrage unleashed by Russia has pressured shutdowns of nuclear energy vegetation, knocked water and electrical energy provide in lots of areas. Responding to the assaults, the US mentioned Russian President Vladimir Putin is “weaponising winter to inflict immense suffering on the Ukrainian people.”

United States Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield added that Putin “will attempt to freeze the nation into submission”.

Russia has been pounding the ability grid and different services with missiles and exploding drones for weeks and the power system is being broken sooner than it may be repaired.

Before the newest barrage, which got here moments after the EU Parliament recognised Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had mentioned that Russian strikes had already broken round half of Ukraine’s power infrastructure.

Ukrainian officers imagine Vladimir Putin is hoping that the distress of unheated and unlit properties within the chilly and darkish of winter will flip public opinion towards a continuation of the battle, however say it’s having the alternative impact, strengthening Ukrainian resolve, AP reported.

There had been energy outages in components of Kyiv, the northern metropolis of Kharkiv, the western metropolis of Lviv, and in all or a part of the Chernihiv, Kirovohrad, Odesa and Khmelnytskyi areas.

Since October, Russia has acknowledged focusing on Ukraine’s civilian power grid removed from entrance traces as a Ukrainian counter-offensive has recaptured territory from Russian occupiers within the east and south, together with Kherson metropolis.

Published On:

Nov 24, 2022