October 19, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

Our live coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine has moved here.

Internet connectivity has weakened in multiple cities in Ukraine following the introduction of rolling blackouts by the national power company, according to Netblocks, an Internet monitoring group. 

The blackouts, which were a result of Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, are now applied throughout the nation from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time. 

According to a tweet by NetBlocks, Kyiv’s connectivity fell to 81% of normal levels. The worst-hit cities were Bucha, Irpin and Brovary, where Internet access was below 70% of its ordinary levels, the organization said.

Some background: President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to Ukrainians to become careful about electricity consumption starting at 7:00 a.m. Thursday due to the damage caused to the nation’s electricity grid.

And the national energy company, NPC Ukrenergo, on Wednesday called for the “understanding and support” of energy users as it announced restrictions.

“Unfortunately, according to new data, about 40% of the total infrastructure and our generating capacities are really seriously damaged,” said Oleksandr Kharchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s energy minister.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law Wednesday introducing martial law in four Ukrainian regions that Moscow claims to have annexed in defiance of international law: Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk.

The move drew criticism from Ukrainian officials and Western allies.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials announced scheduled blackouts nationwide after losing 40% of the country’s power-generating capacity following Russian missile attacks.

Here are the latest headlines:

Ukraine suffered new damage to its critical energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address Wednesday.

“Of course, we will do everything possible to restore normal energy capabilities of our country. But this requires time and our combined effort,” he said.

Zelensky appealed to Ukrainians to become careful about electricity consumption starting on Thursday from 7:00 a.m. local time.

Zelensky also thanked Ukraine’s armed forces for shooting down kamikaze drones and cruise missiles before they could reach their targets. 

Over the last month, 233 ‘Shaheds’ and dozens of missiles were shot down, he said, including 10 Iranian-made drones directed Wednesday at Kyiv.

A view of Kyiv during a rolling blackout following rocket attacks to critical infrastructures in the evening on October 11.

Ukrainian energy officials on Wednesday said they had no choice but to introduce emergency and scheduled blackouts after losing at least 40% of the country’s power generating capacity following days of devastating Russian cruise missile and drone strikes.

“Restoration and repair work is ongoing, but miracles are possible only to a certain extent,” Kharchenko said in the statement broadcast on national television.

“Therefore, we should expect not only emergency but also scheduled outages today and tomorrow in order not to overload the grid,” he added.

NPC Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s national energy company, on Wednesday called for the “understanding and support” of its energy users as they have been forced to introduce consumption restrictions following the missile attacks.

Ukrenergo said the “consumption restrictions may be applied throughout Ukraine from 7:00 am to 22:00 pm” Thursday. 

“The outages will be alternate — the duration of the outage is also determined by the regional power distribution company, but not more than 4 hours,” the statement said.

“The enemy, who cannot compete with the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the battlefield, attacked the civilian energy infrastructure again. Therefore, tomorrow we will apply controlled and carefully calculated restrictions to consumers, which we must implement to make the system work in a balanced way,” the power company said.

Ukraine’s foreign ministry has condemned Moscow’s declaration of “martial law” in the territories of Ukraine that are under Russian occupation, calling it a “new state of terror.”

The move was an attempt “to suppress the resistance of the residents of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, who oppose the Russian occupation,” said a statement released by Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday. “Putin’s decree is null and void. It has no legal consequences for Ukraine and its citizens, as well as for the international community.”

Despite not fully controlling the territories, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced earlier on Wednesday he has signed a decree introducing martial law in four Ukrainian regions the Kremlin has sought to annex, in violation of international law. The regions are Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk. Martial law will come into effect Thursday, according to the decree.

Ukraine called on its “international partners to strongly condemn the intention of the Russian occupation administrations under the guise of the so-called “martial law” to deprive residents of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine of even basic human rights, as well as to condemn their illegal plans to legalize looting, forced deportations and mobilization,” the statement added.

The ministry said Ukraine would continue to liberate the occupied territories and rescue the Ukrainian people.

Denis Pushilin, the leader of the separatist Donetsk region, in Saint Petersburg in June.

The Moscow-appointed head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) welcomed the announcement of martial law by Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling it “timely.” 

The local headquarters of the Territorial Defense will now have an opportunity to coordinate with Russian federal authorities, which will have a “positive impact on the situation,” Denis Pushilin said in a video statement on his Telegram channel.   

Earlier on Wednesday, Putin announced martial law in the four Ukrainian regions he claims to have annexed: Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk. 

United States response: President Joe Biden said Russia’s martial law declaration reflects Putin’s desperate predicament.

“What it reflects to me is, it seems his only tool available to him is to brutalize individual citizens in Ukraine, Ukrainian citizens, to try to intimidate them into capitulating. They’re not going to do that,” Biden said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s martial law orders in the areas Moscow claims to have annexed are “desperate tactics to try to enforce and control,” US State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said Wednesday.

“The truth is that Russia is not wanted in these regions, and the people in Ukraine are rejecting Russia’s illegal invasion and seizure by force of what is Ukrainian territory,” he said.

Patel stressed that “no matter what the Kremlin says or does, no matter what they try to enact via decree via paper or otherwise, Crimea, Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia are Ukrainian sovereign territory.”

“They have no legal claim whatsoever. There is no jurisdiction that they have over those territories. This is Ukraine’s land and Russia has blatantly violated Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as violating UN Charter with their illegal acts,” he said.

Members of the Ukrainian police force standing guard next to smoke as Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, was rocked by explosions during a drone attack in the early morning on October 17.

The European Union is working on new Iran sanctions that could come as soon as this week due to the use of Iranian drones by Russia in Ukraine, a European diplomat told CNN.

These ongoing EU efforts come as the UN Security Council is set to discuss the Iranian drones during a closed-door meeting on Wednesday in New York. But diplomats caution that they do not expect that they could get new sanctions through the security council because they will be vetoed by Russia.  

The State Department said the US would “welcome” EU sanctions on Iran for supplying drones to Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said the US has been “coordinating closely with the EU” but would not get into details of those discussions.

“I would again note and reiterate that the United States itself continues to have tools at its disposal that are practical, that are aggressive, that are useful in holding Iran accountable,” said Patel, “and you have seen us take those actions as it relates to Iranian malign activity.”

Moscow has no plans to close its diplomatic missions in Western countries, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Ivanov told state media RIA Novosti in a comment on Wednesday.

“There are no such plans,” Ivanov said.

This announcement comes off the back of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov saying on Tuesday that Russia will be pulling back on its diplomatic presence in Western countries.

The concept of Russia’s migration policy will be changed before the end of the year due to security risks, Russia’s Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said on Wednesday.

According to Patrushev, in light of new challenges and threats to the national security of Russia, “there is a need to clarify the priority tasks of state authorities in the field of migration.”

According to Patrushev, about 5 million residents of Donbas in eastern Ukraine and the southeastern Ukrainian regions of have arrived in Russia in recent years. 

“As safe conditions are created in these regions, the state will provide comprehensive assistance to return them to their places of permanent residence,” he said.

On Wednesday, speaking to the members of the Russian Security Council, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for changes to the migration policy.

“This area is extremely sensitive for national security, for the stable development of Russia and our society. The situation in the world is changing dynamically, new global and regional issues are emerging that affect the migration sphere, and we need to promptly and effectively respond to these changes, improve our work based on a thorough analysis of new realities,” Putin said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin chaired a Security Council meeting via a video link at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow on October 19.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday instructed his government to prepare a draft decree by Oct. 20 on establishing a coordinating council to meet the needs of the so-called Russian “special military operation” in Ukraine, which is how the president refers to the war.

The Russian government will draft a decree “in order to meet the needs that arise during the conduct of a special military operation (including in terms of the supply and repair of weapons, military and special equipment, materiel, medical maintenance, repair and construction works and logistics, and other),” a Kremlin statement read. 

The statement said the council will be headed by Russia’s prime minister and will include representatives of the country’s defense ministry, internal affairs ministry, emergencies ministry, the Russian Guard, Federal Security Service (FSB), Foreign Intelligence Service, Main Directorate of Special Programs (GUSP), other federal executive bodies and the State Council of the Russian Federation.

The council will hold its first meeting early next week, Russian state media RIA Novosti reported.

In light of Russian President Vladimir Putin declaring martial law in four Ukrainian regions that Russia is seeking to annex, a senior administration official told CNN the move was seen as a “desperate tactic” to try to assert control and that the US is not surprised that Putin has resorted to it. 

The official said Putin’s latest announcement doesn’t change the fact that Russia has no legitimate claims over sovereign Ukrainian territory, and that US officials are tracking how Ukrainians are already rejecting Putin’s latest move.

US support for Ukrainians defending their sovereignty remains unchanged and continues, they added.

The parts of Zaporizhzhia region controlled by Russia will strengthen security measures following the implementation of martial law, said the Russian-installed governor Yevgeny Balitsky on Wednesday in a statement on his Telegram channel.

“All security measures that are in place in the territory of the Zaporizhzhia region will continue to operate and will be strengthened,” said Balitsky.

All cultural events will be canceled, and a curfew will continue to operate for the duration of the martial law Balitsky said.

“Of course, the protection of public order and public safety will be strengthened, as well as the safety of the energy facilities and facilities that pose an increased danger to human life and health. The work of military checkpoints with be strengthened too,” he added.

President Volodymyr Zelensky holds a meeting to find ways to avert the threat of a nationwide blackout on October 19.

Amid a wave of Russian missile and bomb attacks striking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelensky held crisis meetings to find ways to avert the threat of a nationwide blackout.

Photos of Zelensky chairing a meeting discussing the energy crisis were posted to his official Telegram channel on Wednesday. In the caption, Zelensky said his team, “Discussed the necessary steps to eliminate the consequences in the event of a breakdown of the energy system of Ukraine.” 

“Ukraine will defend itself. No matter what the enemy plans and does,” Zelensky added.

Here are the Ukrainian thermal power plants [TPP] hit by Russian strikes on Wednesday, according to Ukrainian officials:

An aerial view shows the city of Kherson, Ukraine, on May 20.

The management of Ukraine’s Kherson region after the introduction of martial law will be carried out by the administration together with the Russian military, the Moscow-appointed governor of the region, Vladimir Saldo, told Russian state media RIA Novosti on Wednesday.

“Martial law says that power in the regions should be transferred to the military in accordance with the law. We are doing all this work together with the military. Now we have already transferred almost the entire apparatus of the military-civilian administration to the left bank, they will work there. All functions, that are needed for life will be organized,” said Saldo, as quoted by RIA.

Remember: The Kherson region, located in south Ukraine, is not under full Russian control. Western nations have decried Russian President Vladimir Putin’s annexations, which violate international law, and have vowed not to recognize them as Russian territory.

The Russian-installed leaders of the Kherson region on Wednesday began massively ramping up the relocation of up to 60,000 people amid warnings over Russia’s ability to withstand a Ukrainian counteroffensive.

According to Saldo more than 7,000 residents have already left the Kherson region.

“We are taking people out to make it easier for the military to carry out their tasks and to protect the civilian population,” said Saldo, adding that the evacuation work is carried out in several directions.

The destroyed Fabrika shopping mall in the city of Kherson, Ukraine, on July 20.

According to Kirill Stremousov, the Russian-backed deputy head of the Kherson regional administration, the introduction of martial law on the territory of the Kherson region will make it easier for the military to carry out combat missions.

“The introduction of martial law will simplify some of the tasks of the military. We will no longer play the games that we have been playing for almost seven months. There will be no more conversations with the Nazis,” said Stremousov on Wednesday on air of Russian state TV Channel One.

Earlier on Wednesday, Putin signed a decree introducing martial law in the four Ukrainian regions the Kremlin claims to have annexed, in violation of international law.

At least three Ukrainian energy facilities came under attack on Wednesday, according to Ukrainian regional officials.

The latest report came from the Ivano-Frankivsk region in western Ukraine, where Svitalana Onyshchuk, the head of regional military administration, said the coal-fired power plant at Burshtyn had been hit.

“Unfortunately today our region came under missile attack. Our Burshtyn TPP [Thermal Power Plant] was hit today. As a result of the hit a fire started,” Onyshchuk wrote in a Facebook post.

Earlier on Wednesday, officials in the Vinnytsia region in central Ukraine and the Kryvyi Rih district of the east-central Dnipropetrovsk region reported strikes on energy facilities.

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via a video link at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow on October 19.

Martial law in the four Ukrainian regions that Moscow claims to have annexed will come into effect Thursday, according to the decree published by the press service of the Kremlin on Wednesday which was signed by Russian President Putin.

Remember: The regions — Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk — are not under full Russian control. Western nations have decried the annexations, which violate international law, and vowed not to recognize them as Russian territory.

“I decide to introduce martial law on October 20, 2022 from zero hours in the territories of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Luhansk People’s Republic, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions,” the decree reads.

According to the decree, territorial defense headquarters are being created in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR), Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

On Wednesday, Viktor Vodolatsky, Russian State Duma deputy, told Russian state media TASS that the introduction of martial law implies strengthening the work of all security and law enforcement services.

According to Vodolatsky, the evacuation of residents of the DPR, LPR and Zaporizhzhia region is not planned, the exception will be the Kherson region, where it is already taking place

An air raid alert that has been in place in Kyiv since early afternoon local time has now been lifted, a CNN team in the capital reports.

Some more context: Ukraine said it shot down at least four cruise missiles and eight drones over the country on Wednesday.

Earlier on Wednesday, Kyiv’s mayor said a number of Russian missiles had been shot down over the Ukrainian capital. He urged residents to stay in shelters as Ukraine’s air defense “continues to work.” 

As Moscow continues to ramp up attacks targeting civilians in Ukraine, Kremlin-appointed leaders in the country’s south have started mass evacuations that human rights groups have warned may amount to crimes against humanity.

If you’re just joining us, here are the latest developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine:

Putin announces martial law in illegally-annexed regions: Despite not fully controlling the territories, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Wednesday he has signed a decree introducing martial law in four Ukrainian regions the Kremlin has sought to annex, in violation of international law. The regions are Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk. Martial law will come into effect Thursday, according to the decree.

Moscow attacks continue: Ukraine claimed it took some hits and repelled attacks over the country on Wednesday, including shooting down at least four cruise missiles and eight drones. Here are some other strikes officials said unfolded throughout the day:

Russia begins evacuating Kherson residents: Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-backed governor of Kherson, announced the planned relocation of up to 60,000 people further away from the frontline. Kyiv later said Moscow is trying to “intimidate” Kherson residents. Human rights groups and international bodies have warned the practice may constitute a crime against humanity.

European leader accuses Moscow of “war crimes”: Russia’s recent strikes on critical energy infrastructure in Ukraine constitute “war crimes,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday. She described the attacks “acts of pure terror,” which were “marking a new chapter in an already very cruel war.”

Here’s the latest state of control in Ukraine: