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PM: Ukraine’s power system functioning despite Russian strikes

In this file photo taken on Oct 27, 2022, workers examine damage as they repair power line equipment after a missile strike on a power plant, in an undisclosed location of Ukraine. (SERGEI SUPINSKY / AFP)

KYIV/MOSCOW – Ukraine's power system is functioning and remains intact despite Russia's latest missile attacks on the energy facilities, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Monday.

Energy facilities in the Kyiv region in northern Ukraine, the central Vinnytsya region and the southern Odesa region were hit by the missile strikes, Shmyhal said on Telegram.

The Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said on Telegram that it shot down more than 60 out of over 70 missiles fired by Russia against Ukraine's critical infrastructure on Monday

Ukrainian state-run energy company Ukrenergo said the situation in Ukraine's energy system is "difficult, but controllable" after the attacks.

Emergency power outages have been introduced in all regions throughout the country, Ukrenergo said in a statement.

The Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said on Telegram that it shot down more than 60 out of over 70 missiles fired by Russia against Ukraine's critical infrastructure on Monday.

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The attack marked the eighth wave of Russia's air strikes against Ukraine since Oct 10.

Probe into pipeline attack

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed various aspects of the situation regarding Ukraine with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday over the phone.

Putin urged "a transparent investigation" with the participation of Russian specialists into the "terrorist act" against the Nord Stream 1 and 2 natural gas pipelines, the Kremlin said.

Pipe systems are seen at the industrial plant of the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline, Lubmin, northeastern Germany, on Aug 30, 2022. (ODD ANDERSEN / AFP)

On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the United States and NATO are directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine as they not only supply weapons but also train military personnel for Kiev in Britain, Germany, Italy and other countries

The two leaders also touched upon the implementation of the Black Sea grain export deal signed in Istanbul in July, and Putin emphasized the need to remove all obstacles to the export of Russian food and fertilizers.

ALSO READ: Ukraine seeks to extend grain deal by at least 1 year

On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the United States and NATO are directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine as they not only supply weapons but also train military personnel for Kiev in Britain, Germany, Italy and other countries.

The West deployed hundreds of instructors to teach Ukrainians how to use the supplied weapons, sent a huge number of mercenaries to Ukraine and provided intelligence, Lavrov said, adding that former relations between Russia and the West will not be restored.

Russia is not prepared to negotiate with the United States if Washington sets the precondition that Russia pulls troops out of Ukraine, but that Putin remains generally open to contacts, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

ALSO READ: Ukraine: Talks with Moscow possible only if Russia withdraws

Photo taken on March 10, 2022 shows the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Russia is not prepared to negotiate with the United States if Washington sets the precondition that Russia pulls troops out of Ukraine, but that President Vladimir Putin remains generally open to contacts, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said

Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, more than 14.5 million people have fled Ukraine, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets said.

In particular, 11.7 million Ukrainians entered EU countries and 7.7 million of them received the status of temporary protection there that envisages assistance with work, housing and other aid, Lubinets wrote on Facebook.

In another development, 50 Ukrainians taken captive in the conflict were released in the latest prisoner swap, Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian President's Office, said Thursday on Telegram.

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The prisoners released included soldiers who fought for Mariupol city and the Azovstal steel plant, captives who were held in the Olenivka penal facility, and those wounded in battles in Donetsk, Lugansk, and the Zaporizhzhia directions, Yermak said.