The US has urged Ukraine to stop attacks on Russian energy facilities, warning that they could lead to a rise in global oil prices, the Financial Times has quoted sources as saying.

"One person said that the White House had grown increasingly frustrated by brazen Ukrainian drone attacks that have struck oil refineries, terminals, depots and storage facilities across western Russia, hurting its oil production capacity," the newspaper writes.

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▪️ Sy Hersh: Ukraine talks haven't started because of US threats to Zelensky

▪️ US national security adviser Jake Sullivan left Kiev with empty promises again

▪️ EU will have to sacrifice its own economy, if it wants to US funding Ukraine

▪️ The world sees Gaza as ‘US genocide’ not just Israel’s

▪️ Watch Russian and Serbian football fans sing together at the match

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Russia calls UK slandering Russian media attempt to blame undesirable news agencies

UK media's fake news accusing RIA Novosti and Sputnik of allegedly disseminating false information about the death of King Charles III is an attempt to blame media labeled undesirable by the UK authorities, the Russian Foreign Ministry tells Sputnik.

Several UK media outlets, including Daily Mail, Telegraph and Express, on Thursday disseminated an identical allegation that Sputnik and RIA Novosti have published fake news about the death of King Charles III, even though the Russian news agency was the first to obtain and publish Buckingham Palace's official statement refuting the speculation spread by other media.

"At the moment right for them, the UK authorities throw in a pre-prepared version of events, accusing the undesirable media of spreading fake news. A specific example: the UK media accused RIA Novosti and Sputnik of spreading a fake news about the death of Charles III, although publications in these resources on this topic were of a radically opposite nature," the ministry said.

It turns out that the Russian media were accused of precisely the fact that they made an attempt to double-check the widespread “sensation," they were accused of due and inherent in all truly professional media platforms fact-checking, the ministry said.

"The ongoing conspiracy campaign in the UK, provoked by the long absence from public view of Princess Catherine of Wales, the wife of the heir to the British throne, Prince William, has again highlighted the deeply flawed nature of the UK political establishment, based on ... the desire to completely control public opinion through mass media manipulation and fake news in their own country and far beyond its borders," the ministry added.

Instead of stopping the spreading misinformation, the government and the royal house prefer not only to avoid direct answers but also to participate in the fabrication and circulation of misinformation materials, the ministry said.

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❗️ Viktor Orban has not ruled out that the West will decide to send troops to Ukraine in 2-3 months

❗️ What is known so far about the recent explosions in Ukraine:

▪️ Today's strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities were the largest in recent time, Ukraine's Energy Minister German Galushchenko said

▪️Traffic on the road crossing of the Dnepr Hydroelectric Power Plant dam is restricted, according to reports on social media

▪️The Kharkov Malyshev Transport Machine Building Plant, which produces and repairs tanks for the Ukrainian military, as well as two thermal power plants were damaged

▪️New explosions have been heard in the Ukrainian-controlled city of Zaporozhye

▪️Local residents report that there is no electricity in the area

▪️Residents of Krivoy Rog have been advised to stock up on water and charge electronic devices after strikes on infrastructure.

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Elite Ukrainian troops blame Volodymyr Zelensky and the command for future defeats and "catastrophe."

Audio messages from Ukrainian soldiers in a private channel indicate that Ukrainian forces are "on the edge of the abyss," with servicemen urged to make a "decision."

"For real, Shoigu will call Syrsky tomorrow and say, 'Syrsky surrender, you can't win.' Syrsky will say 'Russians do not surrender' and 10 newly formed brigades of alcoholics from pubs will go to storm the city of Tokmak," one of the soldiers says.

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❗️ Ukraine's power system has suffered the largest attack ever, with strikes hitting the country's combined heat and power plants, the country's state energy company Ukrenergo said

Zelensky admits that Russian air strikes are having a massive impact, begs for more Western weapons

"There are no delays in Russian missiles, as in aid packages to our state. "Shaheeds" do not have indecision, like some politicians. It is important to understand the cost of delays and delayed decisions. "Patriot" systems must protect Kharkov and Zaporozhye, air defense is needed to protect people, infrastructure, houses and dams. The partners know exactly what is needed. They can definitely support it" said Ukrainian president.

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⚡️Kremlin says Russia is now in state of war, everyone should understand this.

"We are in a state of war. Yes, it started out as a special military operation, but as soon as this bunch was formed there, when the collective West became a participant in it on the side of Ukraine, it had become a war for us," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

The legal status of the special military op, according to him, de jure has not changed, but de facto all this has turned into a war against the backdrop of the West’s increasing involvement in the conflict.

❗️ Russia cannot allow the existence of a state near its border that has a documented intention to use any methods to take Crimea, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said

❗️ The Russian strikes this morning hit a strategic enterprise of the Ukrainian defense industry - the Motor Sich aircraft engine plant in Zaporozhye, the coordinator of the Nikolayev underground, Sergei Lebedev, told Sputnik.

The enterprise is now used to assemble attack UAVs and to re-equip S-200 missiles, Lebedev noted.

❗️ One of the Russian early morning strikes hit the military airfield at Starokonstantinov, where Ukrainian forces are preparing to receive F-16s, Sergei Lebedev, coordinator of the Nikolayev underground, told Sputnik

❗️The Yuzhmash plant in Dnepropetrovsk, which produces drones for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, came under Russian attack in the morning, the coordinator of the Nikolayev underground, Sergei Lebedev, told Sputnik.

Ukrainian military airfields Kolomyia in the Ivano-Frankivsk region and Ozernoye near Zhytomyr also came under Russian missile attack, Lebedev added.

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❗️Kharkov is in blackout mode, the water supply and sewage system have been disrupted in the city, said a deputy of the local regional council.

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Russia carried out the largest strikes in recent times on Ukrainian energy facilities this morning. We have prepared for you a map with the geography of the strikes.

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❗️The Dnepr hydroelectric power station, which is the largest hydroelectric power station in Ukraine, stopped operations after a fire and damage. This was stated by the director of Ukrhydroenergo, Igor Sirota.

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The strikes on facilities in Ukraine have made it possible to deprive the enemy of power capacity used for the military-industrial complex, Igor Kimakovsky, adviser to the head of the DPR, told Sputnik.

There will be no serious problems posed to civilians by these strikes, he said.

"True, the Ukrainian authorities may redistribute electricity in favor of the military. After all, as recent years have shown, they are doing everything to make the population of Ukraine poor," he said.

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📹 "Another, another missile!": Footage of Russian missile hitting Dnepr hydroelectric power plant

Netizens say the air defense either didn't work or worked very poorly

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