"Secret" conversations have been going on for some months between the American National Security Advisor , Jake Sullivan, and his Russian counterparts . This was reported by the Wall Street Journal which cites in particular talks with Yuri Ushakov, Vladimir Putin's adviser for foreign policy.
At the center of the exchanges is the reduction of the risk of a wider conflict in Ukraine and the attempt to "warn Moscow against the use of nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction".
In addition to Ushakov, Biden's adviser also reportedly spoke to his direct counterpart in the Russian government, Nikolai Patrushev.
Meanwhile, today in Kiev, the electricity supply will be subjected to emergency blackouts longer than expected , to cope with the energy crisis caused by the raids on Ukrainian infrastructures.
According to the state network operator Ukrenergo, blackouts are planned in Kiev and in 6 other oblasts: Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr, Sumy, Kharkiv, Poltava.
(Unioneonline)
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The day by the hour:
The Russians attack the Sumy region, one dead
At least one person died in yesterday's attacks by Russian forces in the Sumy region of eastern Ukraine, Governor Dmytro Zhyvytskyi said, as reported by the Kyiv Independent. According to Zhyvytskyi, the Russians have fired over 200 rockets hitting various communities, including Bilopillia, Esman, Vorozhba, Krasnopillia, Khotin, Seredyna-Buda and Shalyhyne. In the Vorozhba community, one woman was killed and another was injured.
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Explosions in occupied Donetsk
Numerous explosions were reported overnight in the Russian-occupied part of Donetsk, the Kyiv Independent reports, citing Russian state media. According to preliminary information, a large fire broke out in a building of the railway administration in the Voroshylivskyi district. For the moment there are no reports of injuries or victims.