Ukraine's new missiles, drones cause gas shortages in Russia, Zelenskyy says
Kyiv (AP): Strikes on Russian oil facilities by Ukraine's newly developed long-range missiles and drones are causing significant gas shortages in Russia, while on the battlefield a recent Ukrainian counter-offensive has derailed Russia's plans to capture parts of the eastern Donetsk region, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says.
Ukraine's new Palianytsia missile has hit dozens of Russian military depots, Zelenskyy said. The Ruta missile drone, meanwhile, recently struck a Russian offshore oil platform more than 250 km away in what Zelenskyy called “a major success” for the new weapon.
Also, swarms of Liutyi and Fire Point long-range drones — up to 300 units in one operation — have hit Russian energy facilities, and Ukrainian forces recently fired Neptune and Flamingo missile systems at Russia, the Ukrainian leader said.
Russian fuel shortages and higher imports indicate that Ukraine's attacks are working, Zelenskyy said at a news briefing Wednesday. His remarks were embargoed until Thursday.
“The main thing is that (Russia is) now importing gasoline — that's a signal,” he said. Ukrainian intelligence reports show Russia has boosted imports from Belarus sixfold and removed import duties, while also bringing in fuel from China.
“According to our data, they've lost up to 20% of their gasoline supply — precisely after our strikes,” Zelenskyy said.
Russian officials have made no public comment about possible gas shortages.
The successes with weapons designed and manufactured by Ukraine are a welcome development for Kyiv after more than three years of fighting Russia's invasion, as Moscow deploys its bigger army and economic resources in an attempt to crush its neighbour.
Ukraine has received Western military aid but has been frustrated by restrictions imposed by the United States and European allies on deep strikes into Russia, out of fear of escalating the war.
Ukraine has poured huge efforts into weapons development and has fast become a global centre for defence innovation.
Zelenskyy said he wants the United States to provide Ukraine with additional long-range weapons, specifically naming American-made Tomahawk missiles that can carry large warheads but which Washington has previously refused to provide.
US President Donald Trump, who has been frustrated in his efforts to end the war by Russian objections, said earlier this week that he has “sort of made a decision” on whether to send Tomahawks to Ukraine. He did not elaborate.
“At the last meeting I did not hear no,'” Zelenskyy said of his request for Tomahawks, adding that US officials had agreed to work on the question at a technical level.
A delegation led by Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko is due to travel to the US early next week for talks about air defence, energy cooperation, sanctions and the use of frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine's war effort.
On the battlefield, Zelenskyy said the most intense fighting remains around Pokrovsk and Dobropillia in the eastern Donetsk region, where Ukrainian troops have launched a counter-offensive operation he described as “very difficult but very timely — and successful”.
“This operation derailed Russia's summer offensive campaign,” he said, adding that what he said was Moscow's plan to occupy much of the Donetsk region by November had failed.
Russian commanders have been ordered “to take Pokrovsk at any cost,” he said, citing intercepted Russian military communications.
Zelenskyy also said Ukraine has contingency plans to protect its natural gas infrastructure, which has been the target of heavy Russian attacks in recent weeks as winter approaches.
“We have Plan A and Plan B,” he said. “Plan A is to rely more on our own extraction. Plan B... is to switch to imports. We understand the volumes, the cost of those imports, and where to get the necessary funds.”
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PM must clarify whether he endorses Sarma's 'utterly shameful' remarks on Kharge: Priyanka
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New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday said the use of "abusive" language by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is "utterly shameful" and added Prime Minister Narendra Modi must clarify whether he endorses this "insult".
Sarma had triggered a row on Tuesday when he hit out at Kharge, saying that he was "speaking like a mad man" due to old age, after the latter put the onus on central agencies to probe the charges made against the Assam chief minister.
In a post in Hindi on X, Priyanka Gandhi said, "The kind of abusive and derogatory language used by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma against the Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, is utterly shameful and unacceptable."
She said Kharge is one of the most senior leaders in the country and serves as an enlightened representative not only of the Congress party but also of the Dalits and the marginalised sections of the nation.
"By insulting him, the BJP chief minister has insulted crores of people across the country," she said.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi must clarify to the nation: does he endorse this insult directed at crores of Indians?" she said.
The Congress on Tuesday accused Sarma of insulting party chief Kharge and demanded an unconditional apology from him for his "deplorable conduct" that it alleged reflects the "anti-Dalit mindset" of the BJP.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday had said the use of "derogatory language" against party chief Mallikarjun Kharge by Sarma was an insult to the entire SC/ST community, and the silence of Prime Minister Modi on the matter "is not his helplessness, but his consent".
"If the prime minister sees an attack on the dignity of crores of Dalits in the country and does not speak up - he is not only shirking his responsibility, but is also a party to that insult," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.
Gandhi said the use of "vulgar and derogatory language" by Sarma against Kharge "is entirely condemnable, shameful, and unacceptable".
"Kharge ji is a senior and popular Dalit leader of the country - his experience, stature, and prestige are unparalleled. Insulting him is not an insult to one individual alone, but also to crores of people from the SC-ST community in this country," he posted.
This, he said, just reflected the "old and premeditated mindset" of the BJP-RSS and was nothing new.
"Whether it is the insult to Babasaheb Ambedkar, belittling Dalit leaders, or personal attacks on representatives of the SC-ST community - the history of BJP and RSS bears witness that whenever a Dalit leader speaks the truth, they stoop to humiliate him," Gandhi said.
"This is their ideology, this is their true character and face," he added.
Posing a direct question to the prime minister, he asked, "Do you support Himanta Sarma's use of this language? Your silence is not helplessness, it is consent."
