#kremenchuk

“U.S. President Joe Biden pledged to Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskiy on Monday that the United States will provide Ukraine with advanced air systems after a devastating missile barrage from Russia.

Biden spoke by phone with Zelenskiy to give assurances about continued U.S. support and to condemn the "senseless attacks" from Russia that hit civilian targets.

"President Biden pledged to continue providing Ukraine with the support needed to defend itself, including advanced air defense systems," a White House statement on the phone call said.

Biden also told Zelenskiy the United States and its allies and partners would continue imposing costs on Russia, "holding Russia accountable for its war crimes and atrocities, and providing Ukraine with security, economic, and humanitarian assistance," the White House said.

The United States has provided more than $16.8 billion worth of U.S. security assistance since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 and imposed a wide-ranging array of economic sanctions on Moscow over its actions in Ukraine.”-via Reuters

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“Russian missile strikes on Ukraine's power network caused blackouts in many parts of the country on Monday, deepening fears of outages this winter and prompting Kyiv to halt electricity exports.

Attacks that killed at least 11 civilians and wounded 64 left four regions temporarily without electricity, and supplies were disrupted in several other areas, the State Emergency Service said.

Authorities in Kyiv asked civilians and businesses to limit energy use, and the energy ministry said it was halting electricity exports to the European grid after the biggest attack on the energy system since the war began in February.

Long queues formed at petrol stations in some areas.

"It is clear now that most of the missiles hit the power systems of different cities," Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of the presidential office, said on the Telegram messaging app.

He warned civilians that "you need to be prepared for the consequences of such shelling, up to rolling blackouts."

Power was later restored in Lviv in western Ukraine but it was not immediately clear when it would be fully back in the other regions without electricity - Ternopil in the west, Sumy in the northeast and Poltava in central Ukraine.

Kyiv city authorities called on residents and businesses to limit electricity consumption from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. and urged owners of advertising signs to turn off their lights during this time.

"We also appeal to Kyiv residents to refrain from using energy-consuming appliances whenever possible. Help the city survive critical loads on the power grid!" the municipal authorities said in a statement.”-via Reuters

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“Russian missile strikes on Kyiv and several other Ukrainian cities killed at least 14 people and wounded 97 others on Monday, the Ukrainian State Emergency Service said.

The strikes also knocked out power in the regions of Kyiv, Lviv, Sumy, Ternopil and Khmelnytsky, the agency said.

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russia launched more than 84 missile and air strikes. Ukraine claimed it intercepted 56 of the missiles and drones.

The military said around 20 Ukrainian settlements were hit.”-via CNN

[Note: These numbers will continue to change as more information becomes available.]

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“The European Union has announced it will extend a bloc-wide protection scheme for Ukrainian refugees into 2024.

Ukrainians in the EU who choose to return to their country will still be able to maintain their refugee status, as long as they notify the relevant EU country of their move, according to the EU’s home affairs commissioner, Ylva Johansson.

About 4.2 million Ukrainians currently held temporary protection status under the EU scheme, Johansson said.

The programme, which first came into effect on 4 March, gives them the right to live and work in any EU country and benefit from housing and schooling help.”-via The Guardian

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“According to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, Russia’s Oct. 10 strike damaged five critical infrastructure, housing and communal services buildings, six educational institutions including three schools and a kindergarten, six cultural institutions, five healthcare facilities, two buildings hosting social institutions, and two administrative buildings.