► Moscow has distributed 80,000 Russian passports since the “annexations”
Russia announced on Thursday November 24 that it had distributed Russian passports to more than 80,000 inhabitants of four areas of Ukraine that it claims to have attached to its territory, annexations not recognized by the international community.
“Since the four regions were added to the Russian Federation, and in accordance with the law, more than 80,000 people have received passports as citizens of the Russian Federation,” said the Russian Interior Ministry, quoted by local news agencies.
In September, Russia organized “referendums”denounced as “simulacra” by Western countries, aiming to take over the areas they control in Ukraine in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk (East), as well as Zaporizhia and Kherson (South).
► Three nuclear power plants reconnected to the electricity grid
The three Ukrainian nuclear power plants controlled by kyiv have been able to be reconnected to the electricity grid, after having been cut off the day before following massive Russian strikes, the energy ministry announced on Thursday. “After yesterday’s massive bombings, energy workers were able to (…) reconnect three nuclear power plants to the electricity grid in the morning”, the ministry said, noting that these facilities are expected to start delivering electricity by ” tonight “.
These are the Khmelnytskyi and Rivne power stations (West) and that of Pivdennooukraïnsk (South), which were disconnected by the automatic protection system following the Russian strikes which hit a number of Ukrainian electrical installations. On Wednesday, Volodymyr Zelensky described these strikes as ” crime against humanity “ perpetrated by Russia.
► Paris accuses Russia of committing “war crimes”
Russia surrenders “obviously to war crimes” in Ukraine, once again accused the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, stressing that the massive bombardments on Wednesday “were not pursuing any military target”.
“France condemns in the strongest terms the massive bombardments launched by Russia on November 23 against kyiv, Lviv and several other Ukrainian cities”, the Quai d’Orsay spokeswoman said in a statement. “This systematic targeting of the population as winter approaches reflects a clear Russian desire to make the Ukrainian people suffer, to deprive them of water, heat and electricity to undermine their resilience,” she continued, adding that “these acts clearly constitute war crimes”.
► The European Parliament approves aid of 18 billion, blocked by Hungary
The European Parliament on Thursday supported the proposal for new European financial aid to Ukraine in the amount of 18 billion euros for 2023, which remains blocked by Hungary, in conflict with Brussels.
By 507 votes in favor (38 against and 26 abstentions), MEPs, meeting in Strasbourg, largely gave their backing to this new financial support for kyiv, to deal with the economic consequences of the invasion of Russia.
“This vote is important not only for the much-needed funding it makes available to the people of Ukraine, but it’s also important for democracy,” greeted the conservative President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, after this vote carried out “at record speed”.