October 12, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Russia's recent attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine "reveal the malice of Putin’s war of choice."

Austin, who hosted a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels on Wednesday, said the “resolve” of allies and partners to help Ukraine has only solidified since the recent barrage of Russian attacks on civilians.

Austin held the meeting to discuss how to continue to support Ukraine in battling Russia’s ongoing invasion of the country, with more than 50 countries participating.

Austin called the recent attacks a “grim preview" of a future where “appetites of aggressive autocrats outweigh the rights of peaceful states.”

Austin said the US and allies will “continue” to send capabilities, like High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) systems, that have helped Ukraine in their counter-offensive against Russia. 

Rafael Grossi, chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is traveling back to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, where the two discussed issues related to nuclear safety.

"The work on the establishment of a nuclear safety & security protection zone around #Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant continues," he added.

Grossi has repeatedly stressed in the past few weeks the urgent need to create a protection zone around the Europe's largest nuclear plant in Zaporizhzhia, which has experienced frequent shelling in the past few months.

View Grossi's tweet here:

Ukraine's weapons wish list includes multiple launch rocket systems, artillery and air defense as current top weapons priorities, according to a handout provided to defense ministers participating in a Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting hosted by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Brussels on Wednesday. 

Ministers of defense from several countries are gathering to discuss weapons requirements and how the countries can continue to support Ukraine militarily as they battle Russia’s ongoing invasion of their country.

Under Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), the handout states that Ukraine needs “additional NATO-standard MLRS systems and ammunition.” Under artillery, the handout states Kyiv needs more artillery for towed howitzers, self-propelled tracked howitzers and non-standard wheeled howitzers as well as large quantities of “additional 155mm, 152mm, and 122mm ammunition,” the handout states.  

The third priority is “air defense” including missiles for Ukraine’s current medium-range air defense systems, the S-300 and SA-11. The list also states Ukraine needs a “transition to Western-origin layered air defense systems” and “additional Western and Soviet-era SHORAD systems.” Ukraine has been asking for more air defense systems, but the need has become more urgent as Russia has increased its use of Iranian-made drones. 

Other priorities listed include radars, coastal defense, tanks and electronic warfare equipment.

The Ukrainian government is appealing to people to reduce their electricity consumption to avoid blackouts — and wants peak demand reduced by 25%.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal appealed to citizens and businesses to reduce electricity consumption from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. in order to stabilize the power system, after damage caused by Russian missile attacks this week.

But to avoid power outages, he said, "it is necessary to achieve a deliberate reduction in electricity consumption from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. across Ukraine by 25%."

Shmyhal asked that "external electric advertising and other energy-consuming devices" be turned off during the evening hours.

He also appealed to people to use gas and coal sparingly after turning on the heating. "The minimum indoor temperature this winter will be 16 degrees, and the average temperature will be 18 degrees," he said. "This is a necessity and this is our contribution to victory."

Ukraine says its forces have continued to advance in the southern region of Kherson, liberating five more villages in a slow push southwest. 

Yaroslav Yanushevych, head of the Kherson region administration, said Wednesday: "The Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated 5 more settlements in the Kherson region: Novovasylivka, Novohryhorivka, Nova Kamynka, Tryfonivka, Chervone.

The five villages are relatively close together in a largely rural part of the region. 

More on Ukraine's offensive in Kherson: Last week, a senior Ukrainian official said Ukraine's military had recaptured 2,400 square kilometers (more than 926 square miles) of territory in the Kherson region “since the beginning of the full-scale war."

Ukrainian forces have been making steady progress in Kherson since beginning an offensive at the end of last month, and their successes have sparked rare criticism of Moscow’s war effort among pro-Russian figures.

Kherson is one of the four regions in Ukraine that Russia has claimed it is annexing in violation of international law.

US President Joe Biden says he hasn't seen any movement from Russian President Vladimir Putin on the release of American women's basketball star Brittney Griner.

"Not from Putin," Biden said when questioned whether he'd seen any action on Griner's case.

Speaking to CNN's Jake Tapper on Tuesday, Biden said he'd be willing to meet Putin at the upcoming G20 summit in Indonesia if Putin was willing to discuss Griner's release.

Biden told reporters Wednesday that recent Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure were brutal and "beyond the pale."

What Russia is saying: A Kremlin aide responded to Biden saying that he has “no intention of meeting” with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying on Wednesday that Moscow “never refuses negotiations and any useful international contacts,” according to state media RIA Novosti.

“We never repel an outstretched hand. If we feel and understand that a partner for one reason or another does not want to meet, we do not impose ourselves," Putin’s foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov told reporters.

When asked if Putin would attend the G20 summit taking place in November in Indonesia, Ushakov said “there’s still plenty of time” to decide.

“As for G20… It’s still a long way to it, as well as to other meetings (international forums in November), there is still a lot of time. Let's wait and see,” he said, according to the state media. 

Russia is not to blame for Europe’s energy crisis, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday, adding that the European Union itself is to blame. 

“Ordinary Europeans are suffering. This year, their energy and gas bills have more than tripled. As in medieval times, the population began to stock up on firewood for the winter. What does Russia have to do with it?” Putin said during the plenary session at Russia’s Energy Week.

Putin blamed EU countries for making poor decisions in the energy sector when it comes to cooperation with Russia. 

“The European well-being of the last decades was largely based on cooperation with Russia. The consequences of the partial rejection of goods from Russia are already negatively affecting the economy and the residents of Europe,” he added.

Putin also said on Wednesday that Russia is ready to start gas supplies via a link on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that remains operational but it is the EU’s decision if they want it.

Remember: Russia was a major oil and gas supplier for European countries. Moscow's war in Ukraine has brought this European reliance under scrutiny.

A leak has been detected in the Druzhba pipeline which supplies crude oil from Russia to Germany, the pipeline’s operator PERN said in a statement on Wednesday.

PERN said the leak was first detected Tuesday evening and located on one of the two lines of the western section of the pipeline, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) from the Polish city of Plock. The operator said “pumping on the damaged line was immediately switched off” but supplies were still continuing to their German partners and they were now investigating what caused the damage.

A spokesperson for Germany’s finance ministry said that initial information from Polish Authorities showed it was “assumed that the damage was accidental, not sabotage” but said the incident was still being investigated.

The spokesperson confirmed there had been a pressure drop in the Druzhba pipeline on Tuesday but stressed that Germany’s supplies were still “guaranteed”. 

“The two refineries in Schwedt and Leuna are currently continuing to receive crude oil via the Druzhba pipeline 'Friendship 1' via Poland. These supplies have not been interrupted,” she added.

Some more context: The discovery of this leak comes as Europe is already on high alert after multiple leaks caused extensive damage to both Nord Stream pipelines in September.

Swedish authorities found that the damage in both pipelines had been caused by “detonations” and their investigation had strengthened their “suspicions of gross sabotage.”

External power to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has been restored after it was lost on Wednesday morning following the shelling of a substation, Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in a tweet.

In a tweet earlier Wednesday, Grossi said plant has lost off-site power for the second time in five days and had to switch to generators.

See Grossi's update: