Zelensky: Hundreds of Russians killed every day near Donetsk

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said today that the Donetsk region in the east remained the "epicenter" of fighting in the conflict, with hundreds of Russians dying every day.

"Donetsk region remains the epicenter of the greatest madness of the occupiers," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address, Reuters reports.

"Hundreds of them are killed every day. The ground in front of the Ukrainian positions is littered with the bodies of the occupiers."

Ukraine announced today that it has received more air defense systems from its Western military allies, saying the weapons will help defend against Russian attacks that have targeted energy infrastructure in recent weeks.

The Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Oleksiy Reznikov, stated on social networks that the anti-aircraft defense systems NASAMS and Aspide have arrived in that country.

"These weapons will significantly strengthen the Ukrainian army and make our skies safer. We will continue to shoot down enemy targets that are attacking us," said Reznikov.

He thanked the partners of Ukraine, Norway, Spain and the United States of America, reports Radio Free Europe.

Russian strikes last month destroyed about a third of Ukraine's power plants, and the government urged Ukrainians to conserve electricity as much as possible.

Authorities in Kyiv said the situation surrounding the city's ability to supply residents with energy remained a "challenge" and called on Ukrainians in the capital to limit their use of electricity at certain times of the day.

A senior adviser to the Ukrainian president said today that Kiev has never refused to negotiate with Moscow and is ready for talks with the future leader of Russia, but not with Vladimir Putin.

Mihailo Podoljak's comments on Twitter followed a Washington Post report on Saturday that said the Biden administration was privately encouraging Ukrainian leaders to signal an openness to talks with Moscow, Reuters reports. 

He wrote that Ukraine has never refused to negotiate and that their negotiating position is known and open.

He said that Russia should first withdraw its troops from Ukraine.

"Is Putin ready? Obviously not. Therefore, we are constructive in our assessment: we will talk to the next leader of Russia".

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that 50.000 Russian soldiers called up as part of his mobilization are now fighting in Ukraine, Interfax reported.

Putin said 80.000 were "in the special military operation zone," a term Russia uses for its war in Ukraine, with the rest of the nearly 320.000 conscripts in training camps in Russia, Reuters reports. 

In September, Putin announced a "partial mobilization" campaign to call up hundreds of thousands of new fighters for the war after Ukraine recaptured large swaths of territory in a counteroffensive. 

Russia ended its partial mobilization in late October, and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on October 28 that around 41.000 Russian fighters had already joined their combat units fighting in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian state will take control of several companies of strategic importance, including the energy producer Ukrnafta and the aircraft production and maintenance company Motoro Sich, the local government announced today.

"A decision was made to take over the assets of the company of strategic importance and for it to become the property of the state," Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of the Ukrainian Security Council, said at the press conference.

"After the lifting of the martial law, these assets could be returned to their owners or they could be compensated for their value," he said.

In addition to the companies Motor Sich and Ukrnafta, the state will also take control of the company Zaporoztransformator, which specializes in the production of reactors, the truck manufacturer AvtoKraz and the oil refinery Ukrtatnafta.

"The assets of those five companies will be managed by the Ministry of Defense to ensure the urgent needs of the armed forces. It is about providing fuel and lubricants, repairing military equipment and weapons," said Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal said that these companies produce basic things for the needs of the defense and armed forces, as well as for the energy sector.

"Those companies should work 24 hours a day and seven days a day for the defense of the country," he said.

Ukraine accuses the Russians of looting empty houses in Kherson in the south of the country, and that they were occupied by plainclothes soldiers in order to be ready for street fighting, reports Reuters.

Both sides predict that one of the most important battles since the beginning of the war will be fought here.

In the past few days, the Kremlin ordered civilians to leave Kherson because they expect a Ukrainian offensive on that city. Kherson, which had a population of 300.000 before the war, remained cold and dark after electricity and water were cut off for the past two days.

Two hundred and fifty-seventh is the day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian operator Ukrenergo announced that it is expected that emergency power cuts will be introduced today in Kyiv and seven regions.

"Planned restrictions will be in force, but in addition, there may be emergency shutdowns in certain areas, in order to prevent overloading of the high-voltage network," Ukrenergo announced, reports Interfax Ukraine.

Emergency shutdowns are expected in Kyiv, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr, Sumy, Kharkiv and Poltava regions, reports Tanjug.

It is said that in those areas the power grid was damaged the most due to the attack by Russian forces.

Ukrenergo added that for a stable and balanced operation of the energy system, it is necessary to reduce consumption by 30 percent.