Russian invasion

Ukraine’s response
Harsh criticism of Zelensky after energy chief’s arrest

This week, Volodymyr Kudrytsky, the former head of Ukraine’s state energy company Ukrenergo, was arrested on charges of embezzlement, Politico and Kyiv Independent report.

Kudrytsky and his lawyers call the charges “pure nonsense” and accuse President Volodymyr Zelensky and his chief of staff Andriy Yermak of centralizing power.

Kudrytsky was fired last year after being accused of failing to adequately protect Ukraine’s power grid from Russian attacks. This led to international criticism and the resignation of board members.

Ukrainian opposition members and activist groups are reacting angrily to the arrest, accusing the government of intimidating and silencing critics by accusing them of collusion with Russia.

An anonymous foreign policy expert who has advised the Ukrainian government believes that the government is looking for a scapegoat.

– Some parts of Ukraine will not have electricity until spring [...] People are pissed off, he tells Politico.

Gripen agreement
Talks about Saab factory in Ukraine – to assemble planes

There are talks about a Saab factory in Ukraine where parts of the Jas Gripen will be assembled. This is confirmed by Ukraine's new ambassador to Sweden Svitlana Zalishchuk in an interview with Ekot on Saturday.

The talks are between Ulf Kristersson, Volodymyr Zelenskyj and Saab CEO Micael Johansson, according to Zalishchuk.

– It is too early to make anything public about the negotiations, but Ukraine has previously had production capacity for aircraft and we will try to use it.

The fighting
Information about elite soldiers in Pokrovsk: "Our priority"

Ukrainian elite soldiers have been deployed to defend Pokrovsk in the Ukrainian Donbas region, according to information to both Reuters and the BBC.

There have been increasing reports over the weekend that Russia is encircling the strategically important city. Ukraine strongly denies this, and the deployment of elite forces shows, according to the BBC, that Kyiv is doing everything it can to maintain control of the city.

Pokrovsk is a key transport hub that would make it easier for Russia to take control of the entire Donbas region, which it has illegally annexed. Kyiv also believes that a Russian capture of the city would strengthen Moscow's efforts to convince the United States that the military offensive is successful, and thus get the West to agree to its demands.

- Pokrovsk is our priority. We continue to destroy the occupier, and that is the most important thing. They must be stopped and destroyed on the spot, said President Zelenskyj in his evening speech on Saturday night.