Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know right now

Reuters

Published Oct 09, 2022 14:38

Updated Oct 10, 2022 10:50

(Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of orchestrating the explosion of a key bridge linking Russia and Crimea, an act he described as terrorism.

CONFLICT* A Russian missile strike on an apartment block and other residential buildings in Ukraine's southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia killed at least 14 people and wounded more than 70.

* Russian divers were to examine the damage from a powerful blast on a road-and-rail bridge to Crimea that is an imposing symbol of Moscow's annexation of the peninsula and a key supply route to its forces battling in southern Ukraine.

* Putin met with Alexander Bastrykin, the head of Russia's Investigative Committee, who presented findings of an inquiry into what he said was Saturday's explosion of a vehicle and subsequent fire on the bridge.

* Crimea's Russian governor, Sergei Aksyonov wrote in Telegram: "Only passenger cars will use the road section of the Crimean bridge until a special order is issued. The railway line will operate as normal. Buses of all types and heavy vehicles will be transported by ferry."

* Ukraine has recaptured over 1,170 square kilometres (450 square miles) of land in its southern Kherson region since launching the start of its counter-assault against Russia in late August, a Ukrainian military spokesperson said.

* The external power supply to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant was restored on Sunday, Ukraine's state nuclear company Energoatom and the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog said.

ECONOMY, DIPLOMACY

* The White House said it would continue to arm Ukraine but declined direct comment on the explosion that damaged Russia's road-and-rail bridge to Crimea.

* Ukraine's economy shrank an estimated 30% in the first three quarters of 2022 from the same period in 2021, with bad harvest weather compounding the impact of the war, the economy ministry said.

* The Kremlin praised OPEC+ for agreeing production cuts that had successfully countered the "mayhem" sown by the United States in global energy markets.