(Bloomberg) —
Most Read from Bloomberg
Vladimir Putin blamed Ukraine for the explosion that damaged the Kerch Strait Bridge, which was built to link Crimea to Russia after he declared the peninsula’s annexation from Ukraine in 2014. The Russian president called a meeting of his Security Council for Monday.
A fireball that engulfed the bridge on Saturday caused extensive damage, signaling another blow to Putin’s war effort in Ukraine as his troops struggle to hold back a Ukrainian counteroffensive. Russia said train traffic across the bridge has resumed.
A dozen Russian missile strikes on apartment buildings and other targets in Zaporizhzhia killed at least 12 civilians and injured dozens more.
(See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.)
Key Developments
-
Eight Years of Fighting Hardened Ukraine’s Army Into a Winner
-
Putin to Meet Top Officials as Crimea Bridge Blast Hits Prestige
-
Russia Races to Reopen Key Crimea Bridge Damaged in Fiery Blast
-
Putin Orders Sakhalin-1 Project Transferred to Russian Entity
-
NATO Once Feared a Putin Victory; Now It Worries Over His Defeat
On the Ground
Russia struck residential buildings and civil infrastructure in Zaporizhzhia again overnight, with dozens dead or injured. Representatives of the Russian occupying authorities in Luhansk and in Nova Kakhovka in the vicinity of Kherson have reportedly taken their families to Crimea amid advances by Ukrainian forces. Ukrainian troops pushed forward further in Luhansk, moving toward the strategic town of Svatove, the region’s military administration said Sunday on Telegram. The army liberated seven villages, it said.
(All times CET)
Zelenskiy Condemns Russian Attacks on Civilians (10:30 p.m.)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said at least 43 civilians were killed and hundreds of families left homeless since Oct. 3 by Russian missile attacks on residential areas in Zaporizhzhia. He renewed his calls for Ukraine’s allies to step up deliveries of air-defense systems.
“The constant terror against the civilian population is an obvious Russian refusal to engage in real negotiations,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.
One apartment building was destroyed by a Russian Kh-22 air-launched antiship missile, he said.
Putin Blames Ukraine for Bridge Explosion (7:20 p.m.)
President Vladimir Putin blamed “Ukraine’s secret services” for the blast that damaged the bridge linking Crimea and the Russian mainland, calling it a “terrorist attack.”
Alexander Bastrykin, chairman of Russia’s Investigative Commission, told Putin that Russian and foreign citizens assisted Ukraine in preparing the explosion, according to a transcript on the Kremlin’s website.
While Ukrainian officials haven’t claimed responsibility, the country’s postal service commemorated the explosion within hours with a new stamp. Mykhailo Podolyak, a Ukrainian government adviser, renewed his side’s description of Russia as a terrorist state later Sunday.
Biden and Scholz Discuss Energy, Condemn Russia (6:30 p.m.)
US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned Russian actions in Ukraine and discussed energy markets, including “the importance of securing sustainable and affordable” supplies, according to a White House statement.
The two leaders, during an almost hourlong call on Sunday, denounced Moscow’s latest threats of nuclear escalation as irresponsible and agreed that such a step would have serious consequences for Russia, according to a German government readout. Both condemned Russia’s attempted annexation of Ukrainian territory and pledged to maintain assistance to Ukraine.
IAEA’s Grossi Says Zaporizhzhia Power Plant Back on Grid (6:10 p.m.)
Europe’s largest nuclear plant has been reconnected to the grid after losing its off-site power in recent days, which forced it to use backup power, the head of the UN’s atomic safety agency said.
The move is “a temporary relief in a still untenable situation,” Rafael Mariano Grossi said on Twitter. Grossi plans to travel soon to Russia and then back to Ukraine in his bid to establish a protection zone around the Zaporizhzhia plant.
White House Says US Nuclear Posture Unchanged (4:44 p.m.)
The US has no indication that Putin has decided to use nuclear weapons despite his threats and battlefield losses, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. “Nor have we seen anything that would give us pause to reconsider our own strategic nuclear posture,” he said on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday.
Kirby’s comments reaffirm those by other US officials that no fresh intelligence led to President Joe Biden’s warning last week that Putin’s nuclear threats could lead to “Armageddon.”
Read more: White House Says US Nuclear Posture Unchanged Over Putin Threats
Russia Says Another Ferry in Operation for Crimea Transit (4:11 p.m.)
The Lavrentiy ferry has arrived to the Black Sea port of Kerch to assist with passenger and car shipments after Saturday’s blast temporarily stopped traffic at the Crimea bridge, Russia’s Transport Ministry said in a statement. Another ferry started operating earlier on Sunday and the ministry said it’s considering bringing in more vessels.
Putin to Gather Security Council on Monday, RIA Reports (2:43 p.m.)
The reason for the gathering wasn’t immediately announced, but will come two days after the damage to the Crimea-Russia bridge. The council is composed of top state officials and the heads of Russia’s defense and security agencies, charged with coordinating national security matters.
Putin last had a meeting with the Security Council nearly two weeks ago, to discuss his order for partial mobilization in Russia. In September he met members of the Council four times, according to Kremlin data.
Russia Says Trains Moving Again Over Damaged Crimea Bridge (11:33 a.m.)
Movement of passenger and freight trains across the sole bridge from Crimea to Russia’s mainland is back on, Russia’s transportation ministry said on Telegram.
“It is almost certain that some vehicle transits via the other two carriageways have resumed, but capacity will be seriously degraded,” the UK Defence Ministry said in a Twitter update.
Germany Finalizes New Aid Package for Ukraine: Spiegel (11:30 a.m.)
The German government has put together another package to support Ukraine, to the tune of 11 million euros ($10.7 million), according to Der Spiegel.
The aid package, which includes winter clothing, heatable crew tents, mobile power generators and food packages, follows a request for winter equipment from Kyiv. Berlin wants to deliver the equipment as quickly as possible, Der Spiegel reported.
Zelenskiy Says Air Defense is Ukraine’s Top Priority (9:19 a.m.)
Ukraine is seeking anti-aircraft systems from its partners as soon as possible as Moscow’s forces steps up attacks on its cities and towns with missiles fired from airplanes, President Vladimir Zelenskiy said Saturday.
“It is one of the highest priorities for our diplomats to speed up the decision of our partners to provide Ukraine with modern and effective anti-aircraft systems,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly address to the nation.
His comments came hours before Russian jets fired at least a dozen missiles at the city of Zaporizhzhia overnight. Ukraine’s military said on Twitter that having such anti-missile systems “could have prevented such tragedies.”
EU to Train Up to 15,000 Ukrainians This Winter: Welt (9 a.m.)
The EU agreed to a new training mission for Ukraine, and plans to train as many as 15,000 of Kyiv’s troops in EU countries this winter, the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag reports.
Operational headquarters will be located in Poland and Germany, with an initial mandate of two years. The EU also plans to massively expand military aid to Ukraine within the next months, according to Welt.
Ukraine Calls on Belarus to Resist Russian Provocations (8:30 a.m.)
Ukraine’s foreign ministry said its ambassador to Belarus was summoned on Saturday night to a meeting where officials accused Kyiv of planning a strike against the territory of Russia’s ally.
“We categorically reject another insinuation of the Belarusian regime,” Ukraine’s ministry said in a statement. “We do not rule out that the handed diplomatic note is part of a Russian Federation provocation plan.” Ukraine called on Belarus “not to succumb to provocations.”
Two missiles were launched by Russian jets from Belarusian air space last week for the first time since late August. They hit the area near Shepetivka in central Ukraine, hundreds of miles from the eastern and southeastern front lines.
Russian Strikes on Zaporizhzhia Kill Multiple Civilians (8 a.m.)
Moscow’s troops hit civilian targets in Zaporizhzhia overnight in an airplane missile attack, killing at least 17 people in dozens of apartment buildings, city council secretary Anatoliy Kurtev said on Telegram. Other estimates put the toll at 12 dead so far. Dozens more were hospitalized. At least five homes were also destroyed and dozens damaged. Ukraine’s state security service has opened a probe into attack.
Ukraine’s regional military administration said Russia used planes to attack the city, firing 12 missiles. Some infrastructure and many cars were also damaged.
Zaporizhzhia has been under heavy attack from Russian in recent weeks. It’s part of one of four regions illegally annexed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Read more: Russia Escalates Strike on Southeast City as Ukrainians Advance
Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.
