Russian air strikes have destroyed virtually one-third of Ukraine’s energy stations since October 10, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy mentioned on October 18 as Moscow launched a contemporary wave of air assaults that hit Kyiv and different Ukrainian cities, concentrating on residential areas and vitality infrastructure.

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Zelenskiy tweeted that the assaults had brought on large blackouts throughout Ukraine and that there was “no area left for negotiations” with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“One other type of Russian terrorist assaults: concentrating on (Ukraine’s) vitality & essential infrastructure. Since Oct 10, 30 [percent] of Ukraine’s energy stations have been destroyed, inflicting large blackouts throughout the nation. No area left for negotiations with Putin’s regime,” Zelenskiy wrote.

The Kyiv prosecutor’s workplace mentioned two individuals have been killed within the October 18 strikes within the Ukrainian capital after 5 others misplaced their lives in drone assaults the day gone by.

Earlier on October 18, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential workplace, mentioned there had been three Russian strikes on an unspecified vitality facility in northern Kyiv.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko mentioned the assault was on “essential infrastructure.”

The northern Ukrainian metropolis of Zhytomyr was left with out water and electrical energy provide after Russian air strikes, its mayor mentioned.

Russian troops additionally shelled vitality amenities in Dnipro and, beforehand, in Zhytomyr, and blasts have been reported in Kharkiv.

Explosions additionally shook the cities of Kriviy Rih and Mykolayiv, native officers mentioned, a day after Russia launched waves of kamikaze drone strikes that killed a minimum of seven individuals, 4 of them in Kyiv, and broken infrastructure within the Ukrainian capital and a number of other different cities throughout the nation.

“Kriviy Rih. Explosions within the northern a part of the town. We’re in shelters,” Oleksandr Vilkul the top of the central Ukrainian metropolis’s navy administration mentioned on social media, including that to date there have been no experiences of casualties or injury.

Within the southern port of Mykolayiv in a single day shelling killed a minimum of one individual, Mayor Oleksandr Sienkovych mentioned early on October 18.

On the identical day, British intelligence recognized the drones utilized by Russia within the assaults as being Iranian-made.

In its each day intelligence bulletin on October 18, the British Ministry of Protection mentioned that Russia’s heightened tempo of long-range strikes over the previous week in opposition to targets throughout Ukraine included so-called kamikaze drones supplied by Iran.

“[Strikes] have been carried out by cruise missiles, air protection missiles in a surface-to-surface position, and Iranian-provided Shahed-136 a technique assault uncrewed aerial autos,” British intelligence mentioned.

Russia launched a wave of Iranian-built drones laden with explosives in opposition to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on October 17. The strikes got here every week after a large barrage of Russian missile assaults throughout the nation killed a minimum of 19 individuals.

U.S. President Joe Biden’s spokeswoman, Karine Jean-Pierre, informed reporters that the White Home “strongly condemns Russia’s missile strikes” and mentioned the assaults proceed “to reveal [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s brutality.”

She mentioned the USA “will proceed to impose prices on Russia, maintain them accountable for its conflict crimes.”

The US, Britain, and France agreed that Iran supplying drones to Russia would violate a UN Safety Council decision that endorsed the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and 6 powers.

The Ukrainian Overseas Ministry mentioned on October 17 that greater than 100 such drones had struck Ukraine prior to now week, hitting energy stations, sewage therapy crops, bridges, and playgrounds.

“A 3rd of Ukraine’s vitality infrastructure was affected,” a ministry assertion mentioned.

“We name on Tehran to instantly cease supplying Russia with any weapons. In any other case, Iran and its management will bear the strictest duty, together with inside the framework of worldwide authorized proceedings addressing Russia’s crimes in opposition to Ukraine.”

Overseas Minister Dmytro Kuleba appealed earlier on October 17 to the international ministers of the European Union to impose sanctions on Iran over drone provides to Russia.

Each Russia and Iran have repeatedly denied that Iranian drones are being equipped to Moscow.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned on October 18 that Moscow had no details about whether or not or not Iranian drones have been utilized in assaults in opposition to Ukraine earlier this week.

On October 17, Iran additionally caught to its denial that it’s supplying the drones to Russia, whereas the Kremlin has not commented.

Requested for remark, the Iranian mission to the United Nations repeated an announcement issued by the federal government on October 14 that mentioned it helps upholding the UN Constitution and the UN makes an attempt to discover a peaceable resolution to the battle in Ukraine.

The US warned on October 17 that it could take motion in opposition to firms and nations working with Iran’s drone program.

“Anybody doing enterprise with Iran that might have any hyperlink to UAVs (unmanned aerial autos) or ballistic missile developments or the move of arms from Iran to Russia needs to be very cautious and do their due diligence — the U.S. is not going to hesitate to make use of sanctions or take actions in opposition to perpetrators,” State Division spokesman Vedant Patel informed reporters.

“Russia deepening an alliance with Iran is one thing the entire world — particularly these within the area and internationally, frankly — needs to be seeing as a profound menace,” Patel mentioned.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, dpa, and AFP