Power outage in Kharkiv, Ukraine after Russian missile attack
Kharkiv faced several power outages on Friday after Russian missile attacks appeared to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said.
in a series of post Terekhov said on Telegram that about 15 explosions occurred during the night, which also caused disruptions to water supply and transportation systems. He reported no casualties.
— Karen Gilchrist
IMF approves $880 million loan disbursement to Ukraine
In this photo, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is taken on April 11, 2023 in Washington, DC, the United States.
Seral Gunes | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
International Monetary Fund Thursday officially recognized A third review of Ukraine’s $15.6 billion loan program has allowed the troubled country to receive $880 million in budget support, bringing total spending to $5.4 billion.
The global bank said Ukraine’s economy showed “remarkable resilience” in 2023, but noted that the risk of continued Russian attacks remained. However, the head of the Ukrainian delegation, Gavin Gray, told reporters that the fund still expected the war in Ukraine to end by the end of 2024, according to Reuters.
Funding from the International Monetary Fund is due to arrive in the coming days, after the European Union received some on Wednesday. Meanwhile, a U.S. appropriations bill remains stalled in Congress.
— Karen Gilchrist
US reportedly urges Ukraine to stop attacks on Russian refineries
Washington has urged Kyiv to halt drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, warning that the attacks could push up global oil prices, people familiar with the matter said. Financial Times.
The White House is growing increasingly exasperated by Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries, terminals and storage facilities, a source said.
The warnings were sent to Ukraine’s state security service and its military intelligence service, both of which have stepped up drone strikes against Russian land, sea and air targets, the report said.
Russia remains one of the world’s most important energy exporters despite Western sanctions, and U.S. officials fear such an attack could lead to retaliatory attacks on Western energy infrastructure.
— Karen Gilchrist
Official media reported that Hungarian Prime Minister Orban congratulated Putin on his re-election
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban congratulated Russian President Vladimir Putin on his re-election, state news agency MTI reported on Thursday.
Orban wrote in a letter that cooperation between Hungary and Russia “is based on mutual respect and allows the discussion of important issues even in the current very difficult geopolitical situation,” according to the agency.
— Reuters
Defense Ministry says Russian artillery and weapons production has increased significantly
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Thursday that production of artillery and weapons in Russia had increased significantly after inspecting several factories.
in telegram postal According to CNBC Google Translate, Shoigu said that artillery production has increased by nearly two and a half times since the expansion of existing factories and the opening of new ones.
According to the Ministry of Defense, Shoigu further said that the production of ammunition parts has increased nearly 22 times, while a factory he visited now produces five times more artillery and aviation weapons than before.
A surge in Russian defense spending since the war began has boosted the country’s economy, which is performing far better than many observers had previously expected. However, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told CNBC on Tuesday that this situation may not last long.
“If you put your economy into a state of crisis or war, your GDP goes up because you produce more shells and tanks and all that stuff that will be destroyed, but you also waste your country’s resources. and wealth, but there are limits,” he said.
——Sophie Kidlin
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