(TIJUANA, Mexico) — Authorities in Mexico are searching for a suspect responsible for the recent deaths of three women who worked in bars and strip clubs in Tijuana, a Mexican state attorney general said Thursday.
Baja California Attorney General Ricardo Iván Carpio Sánchez said the women were found dead in hotel rooms last month.
Investigators have a good idea who the suspect is, the attorney general said, describing him as an American who lives north of the border.
Authorities have yet to name the suspect.
The FBI and other U.S. law enforcement agencies have reportedly been notified and are assisting with the search, Carpio Sánchez said.
The FBI did not return ABC News’ request for comment on the agency’s involvement in this investigation.
Mexican authorities compared the killings to the murders committed by notorious U.S. serial killer Ted Bundy.
“This subject has criminal tendencies associated with violent and psychopathic behavior,” Carpio Sánchez said during a recent meeting with reporters in Tijuana. “His profile is very similar to someone who became very well-known decades ago: Ted Bundy.”
Bundy was one of the nation’s most prolific serial killers, having confessed to murdering 30 women across the U.S. between 1973 and 1978. He was executed in 1989.
(NEW YORK) — The U.S. has swapped WNBA star Brittney Griner for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, according to a senior U.S. official.
The basketball star was taken into custody at a Moscow area airport in February in possession of vaping cartridges containing hashish oil, an illegal substance in Russia.
Griner pleaded guilty in July and was sentenced to nine years in prison on Aug. 7. She appealed the sentence, but was quickly rejected in October.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Dec 08, 1:07 PM EST
Paul Whelan calls CNN from prison
Paul Whelan called CNN from prison on Thursday, saying he’s “happy that Brittney is going home today and that Trevor [Reed] went home when he did — but I don’t understand why I’m still sitting here.”
Whelan said he’s “greatly disappointed that more has not been done to secure my release,” adding, “I was arrested for a crime that never occurred.”
Whelan, who has been imprisoned in Russia for nearly four years, said his message to Biden is: “This is a precarious situation that needs to be resolved quickly, and I would hope that he and his administration would do everything they could to get me home. regardless of the price they may have to pay at this point.”
Biden said Thursday that the prisoner swap was “not a choice” between Brittney Griner and Whelan.
“Russia is treating Paul’s case differently than Brittney’s, and while we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul’s release we are not giving up. We will never give up,” he said.
“We’ll continue to engage the Russians on Paul, and we’ll continue to look at everything possible to bring him home,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken added.
-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson
Dec 08, 12:38 PM EST
Phoenix Mercury, Griner’s WNBA team, releases statement: ‘She’s on her way’
The Phoenix Mercury, Brittney Griner’s WNBA team, celebrated their star player’s return Thursday.
“Miraculously, mercifully, the count of days detained has ended at 294, and our friend, our sister is headed back home where she belongs,” the team wrote on Twitter. “The emotions for our organization, just like for our fans and so many across the world, are those of joyous celebration, deep gratitude, grief for the time lost, and sincere hope for all families still awaiting the return of a loved one.”
Griner has played her entire nine-year career with Phoenix, making eight All-Star teams and winning the WNBA title in 2014.
The team had posted each week, saying how many days Griner had been in detention in Russia and continuing to advocate for her release. Teammates like Kia Nurse, Brianna Turner, Sophie Cunningham and Shey Peddy tweeted their relief at Griner’s release.
“BG’s strength in this process, her unwavering belief that resolution would come, and the hope she displayed every day is what kept all of us believing this day would come,” the Mercury said in its joint statement with the Phoenix Suns.
“We no longer have to Bring BG Home — she’s on her way,” they concluded.
Dec 08, 12:29 PM EST
Griner headed to Brooke Army Medical Center
Brittney Griner is en route to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, a spokesperson at the base confirmed to ABC News. She’s expected to arrive late Thursday night or early Friday, according to the base.
-ABC News’ Gina Sunseri and Ben Gittleson
Dec 08, 11:28 AM EST
WNBA, NBA commissioners praise release
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert applauded the release of Griner, an eight-time league All Star, and said she showed “extraordinary courage and dignity in the face of enormous adversity.”
“There has not been a day over the past ten months where we all haven’t had Brittney Griner on our minds and in our hearts and that has now turned into a collective wave of joy and relief knowing that she will soon be reunited with her family, the WNBA player community, and her friends,” Engelbert wrote in a statement.
The WNBA celebrated Griner all season, putting her No. 42 on every court and even having every player in this year’s All Star Game wear her number. Many players spoke out throughout the season for her release.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who had also consistently pushed for Griner’s release, said in a statement, “Brittney has had to endure an unimaginable situation and we’re thrilled that she is on her way home to her family and friends. We thank the members of the NBA and WNBA community who never wavered in their efforts to raise awareness of Brittney’s unjust circumstances.”
Seattle Storm star Breanna Stewart, the 2018 WNBA MVP and a teammate of Griner on both the U.S. national team and Russian squad UMMC Ekaterinburg, had posted a plea for Griner’s release every day on Twitter, counting the days and tagging President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and the White House in the posts. On Thursday, she wrote, “BG is FREE!!! 294 days and she is coming home!!!”
Dec 08, 9:22 AM EST
Griner negotiations were ‘painstaking,’ Russians treating Whelan differently: Biden
The road to Griner’s release involved “painstaking and intense negotiations,” President Biden said as he thanked many across his administration who “worked tirelessly to secure her release.”
“She’s relieved to finally be heading home and the fact remains that she’s lost months of her life, experienced a needless trauma,” he said. “She deserves space, privacy and time with her loved ones to recover and heal from her time being wrongfully detained.”
Biden said Griner landed in the United Arab Emirates and that the country helped facilitate the transfer.
Paul Whelan was not part of this exchange, the president said, adding, “This was not a choice of which American to bring home.”
“Sadly, for totally illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul’s case differently than Brittney’s. And while we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul’s release, we are not giving up. We will never give up,” Biden said. “We remain in close touch with Paul’s family — the Whelan family — and my thoughts and prayers are with them today.”
“They have to have such mixed emotions today,” he continued. “And we’ll keep negotiating in good faith for Paul Whelan. I guarantee that. I say that to the family. And I guarantee you. I urge Russia to do the same to ensure that Paul’s health and humane treat are maintained until we can bring him home. I don’t want American to be detained one extra day if we can bring that person home.”
Dec 08, 9:20 AM EST
Blinken says Russia not willing to release Paul Whelan
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he’s grateful to everyone “who worked tirelessly” to bring Brittney Griner home, but lamented that Paul Whelan and his family “continue to suffer needlessly.”
“Despite our ceaseless efforts, the Russian Government has not yet been willing to bring a long overdue end to his wrongful detention. I wholeheartedly wish we could have brought Paul home today on the same plane with Brittney,” he said in a statement. “We will not relent in our efforts to bring Paul and all other U.S. nationals held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad home to their loved ones.”
Dec 08, 9:02 AM EST
Biden says Griner will be home within 24 hours
President Joe Biden confirmed that WNBA star Brittney Griner is on her way back to the U.S. and will be back within 24 hours.
The president said she’s in “good spirits.”
“She’s safe. She’s on a plane. She’s on her way home,” Biden said.
“After months of being unjustly detained in Russia held under intolerable circumstances, Brittany will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones and — and she should have been there all along,” he said.
A senior U.S. official told ABC News that Biden signed off on the prisoner swap last week.
Dec 08, 8:59 AM EST
Whelan family disappointed he wasn’t included in swap
The brother of Paul Whelan, an ex-U.S. Marine currently being held in Russian prison, said they were told beforehand he would not be included in the swap and were “able to mentally prepare for what is now a public disappointment for us.”
“At some level, our family has steeled ourselves for this likelihood,” Whelan’s brother, David, wrote in a statement. “And I think, as the use of wrongful detentions and hostage diplomacy continues around the globe, it’s clear the US government needs to be more assertive. If bad actors like Russia are going to grab innocent Americans, the US needs a swifter, more direct response, and to be prepared in advance.”
“In Russia’s case, this may mean taking more law-breaking, Kremlin-connected Russians into custody,” he added. “It’s not like there aren’t plenty around the world.”
David Whelan also made sure to note he and his family were happy Griner has been released and said he knew the cases “were not intertwined.”
“There is no greater success than for a wrongful detainee to be freed and for them to go home,” he wrote. “The Biden Administration made the right decision to bring Ms. Griner home, and to make the deal that was possible, rather than waiting for one that wasn’t going to happen.”
The Whelan family issued a similar statement in April when U.S. citizen Trevor Reed was freed from Russia in a prisoner swap. David Whelan alluded to that in his statement Thursday, saying, “The sentiments I shared in April about Trevor are unchanged: this is the event we wish for so much for our own family. She will be reunited with her family. Brittney is free. And Paul is still a hostage.”
Dec 08, 8:53 AM EST
Cherelle Griner calls past months ‘one of the darkest moments of my life’
Brittney Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, called the past months “one of the darkest moments of my life,” but flashed a large smile on her face knowing “BG” will be home soon.
“Today I’m just standing here overwhelmed with emotions, but the most important emotion that I have right now is just sincere gratitude for President Biden and his entire administration,” she said as she stood alongside President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
“It’s a happy day for me and my family,” she said.
Dec 08, 8:45 AM EST
Lavrov confirms swap, Putin pardoned Griner
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed that Griner was released and the prisoner exchange was carried out at Abu Dhabi Airport.
“For a long time, the Russian Federation has been negotiating with the United States on the release of V.A. Bout,” Lavrov said in a statement. “Washington categorically refused to engage in dialogue on the inclusion of the Russian in the exchange scheme. Nevertheless, the Russian Federation continued to actively work to rescue our compatriot.”
“As a result of the efforts made, it was possible to agree with the American side on the organization of the exchange of V.A.Bout for B. Griner,” he continued.
The U.S. has said for months it had offered Bout as part of a prisoner swap for Griner and Russian detained ex-Marine Paul Whelan.
Ombudsman of the Russian Federation Tatyana Moskalkova said Putin pardoned Griner before her release in the swap and she and Bout “should not serve the rest of their sentences in their respective countries.”
Dec 08, 8:34 AM EST
Who is Viktor Bout?
Griner has been swapped for the convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, according to a senior U.S. official.
Bout was arguably the world’s best-known illegal arms trafficker and his capture in 2008 at a hotel in Thailand came at the end of a nearly decade-long hunt by the U.S.
Bout, 55, emerged as a kingpin in the global illegal arms trade during the 1990s, accused of fueling some of the world’s bloodiest conflicts, particularly in Africa. Sourcing weapons from the huge stockpiles of the collapsed Soviet Union, the Russian used a fleet of Soviet-built transport aircraft to supply vast quantities of arm, often circumventing international embargoes.
Dec 08, 8:27 AM EST
Biden speaks to Griner aboard plane
President Joe Biden shared a photo of himself talking on the phone to Brittney Griner from the White House, along with Vice President Kamala Harris, saying she was on a plane, safe and headed home.
He is also shown hugging Cherelle Griner, Brittney’s wife.
(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. has swapped WNBA star Brittney Griner for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, according to a senior U.S. official.
The basketball star was taken into custody at a Moscow area airport earlier this year in possession of vaping cartridges containing hashish oil, an illegal substance in Russia.
Griner pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nine years in prison.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Dec 08, 9:02 AM EST
Biden says Griner will be home within 24 hours
President Joe Biden confirmed that WNBA star Brittney Griner is on her way back to the U.S. and will be back within 24 hours.
The president said she’s in “good spirits.”
“She’s safe. She’s on a plane. She’s on her way home,” Biden said.
“After months of being unjustly detained in Russia held under intolerable circumstances, Brittany will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones and — and she should have been there all along,” he said.
A senior U.S. official told ABC News that Biden signed off on the prisoner swap last week.
Dec 08, 8:59 AM EST
Whelan family disappointed he wasn’t included in swap
The brother of Paul Whelan, an ex-U.S. Marine currently being held in Russian prison, said they were told beforehand he would not be included in the swap and were “able to mentally prepare for what is now a public disappointment for us.”
“At some level, our family has steeled ourselves for this likelihood,” Whelan’s brother, David, wrote in a statement. “And I think, as the use of wrongful detentions and hostage diplomacy continues around the globe, it’s clear the US government needs to be more assertive. If bad actors like Russia are going to grab innocent Americans, the US needs a swifter, more direct response, and to be prepared in advance.”
“In Russia’s case, this may mean taking more law-breaking, Kremlin-connected Russians into custody,” he added. “It’s not like there aren’t plenty around the world.”
David Whelan also made sure to note he and his family were happy Griner has been released and said he knew the cases “were not intertwined.”
“There is no greater success than for a wrongful detainee to be freed and for them to go home,” he wrote. “The Biden Administration made the right decision to bring Ms. Griner home, and to make the deal that was possible, rather than waiting for one that wasn’t going to happen.”
The Whelan family issued a similar statement in April when U.S. citizen Trevor Reed was freed from Russia in a prisoner swap. David Whelan alluded to that in his statement Thursday, saying, “The sentiments I shared in April about Trevor are unchanged: this is the event we wish for so much for our own family. She will be reunited with her family. Brittney is free. And Paul is still a hostage.”
Dec 08, 8:53 AM EST
Cherelle Griner calls past months ‘one of the darkest moments of my life’
Brittney Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, called the past months “one of the darkest moments of my life,” but flashed a large smile on her face knowing “BG” will be home soon.
“Today I’m just standing here overwhelmed with emotions, but the most important emotion that I have right now is just sincere gratitude for President Biden and his entire administration,” she said as she stood alongside President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
“It’s a happy day for me and my family,” she said.
Dec 08, 8:45 AM EST
Lavrov confirms swap, Putin pardoned Griner
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed that Griner was released and the prisoner exchange was carried out at Abu Dhabi Airport.
“For a long time, the Russian Federation has been negotiating with the United States on the release of V.A. Bout,” Lavrov said in a statement. “Washington categorically refused to engage in dialogue on the inclusion of the Russian in the exchange scheme. Nevertheless, the Russian Federation continued to actively work to rescue our compatriot.”
“As a result of the efforts made, it was possible to agree with the American side on the organization of the exchange of V.A.Bout for B. Griner,” he continued.
The U.S. has said for months it had offered Bout as part of a prisoner swap for Griner and Russian detained ex-Marine Paul Whelan.
Ombudsman of the Russian Federation Tatyana Moskalkova said Putin pardoned Griner before her release in the swap and she and Bout “should not serve the rest of their sentences in their respective countries.”
Dec 08, 8:34 AM EST
Who is Viktor Bout?
Griner has been swapped for the convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, according to a senior U.S. official.
Bout was arguably the world’s best-known illegal arms trafficker and his capture in 2008 at a hotel in Thailand came at the end of a nearly decade-long hunt by the U.S.
Bout, 55, emerged as a kingpin in the global illegal arms trade during the 1990s, accused of fueling some of the world’s bloodiest conflicts, particularly in Africa. Sourcing weapons from the huge stockpiles of the collapsed Soviet Union, the Russian used a fleet of Soviet-built transport aircraft to supply vast quantities of arm, often circumventing international embargoes.
Dec 08, 8:27 AM EST
Biden speaks to Griner aboard plane
President Joe Biden shared a photo of himself talking on the phone to Brittney Griner from the White House, along with Vice President Kamala Harris, saying she was on a plane, safe and headed home.
He is also shown hugging Cherelle Griner, Brittney’s wife.
(NEW YORK) — Prince Harry and Meghan’s docuseries is here.
The highly-anticipated first three episodes of the six-part series, titled Harry & Meghan, were released Thursday at 3 a.m., EST, on Netflix.
The duke and duchess of Sussex open up in the docuseries about everything from their love story to their decision two years ago to step down from their senior royal roles.
The docuseries, directed by Oscar-nominated Liz Garbus, is billed as a “first-hand account of Harry and Meghan’s story, told with never before seen personal archive.” It opens by noting that interviews for the docuseries were completed by August, one month before the death of Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The docuseries also says from the beginning that members of Britain’s royal family, “declined to comment on the content within this series.”
Here is a look at the docuseries’ biggest moments so far, along with what to know:
Harry and Meghan met through Instagram, a mutual friend
For the first time, the Sussexes share extensive details of the start of their relationship in 2016, when Meghan was an actress on the TV show Suits.
Harry revealed he saw Meghan on a mutual friend’s Instagram page, and asked to be connected.
They had their first date in July 2016 at Soho House in London, followed by a second dinner date at the same location.
After two dates, Harry and Meghan went on a five-day trip to Botswana, where they spent time just the two of them.
“We had to get to know each other before the rest of the world and the media sort of joined in,” Harry said.
He later adds, “When I got to know Meghan more and more, I’m like, ‘Now, I’m really falling in love with this girl,’ so despite my fear, I just opened my heart to see what’s going to happen.”
Harry says Meghan reminds him of Princess Diana
In one clip, Meghan is seen holding a baby who appears to be their son Archie in what appears to be a nursery and showing him a photo of Harry’s mom Princess Diana, whom she tells him is “Grandma Diana.”
Later, Harry describes the similarities he sees between his wife and Diana, who died in 1997.
“So much of what Meghan is and how she is, is so similar to my mom,” Harry said. “She has the same compassion. She has the same empathy. She has the same confidence. She has this warmth about her.”
Harry gives a glimpse into pressures of royal life
The docuseries is also a rare look into Britain’s royal family, from Harry and Meghan’s perspective.
Harry is the fifth in line to the British throne. His father is King Charles III and his older brother Prince William is the heir to the throne.
Charles, William and other members of the royal family have not publicly commented on the Sussexes’ docuseries.
Docuseries generates controversy before its debut
In addition to generating headlines because of Harry’s royal ties and the couple’s willingness to speak out about the royal institution, the docuseries faced other controversies even before its debut.
When Netflix released trailers for Harry & Meghan, some U.K. tabloids claimed the docuseries was misleading, stating that some of the footage used in the trailers showed press and paparazzi from moments unrelated to Harry and Meghan.
An image of photographers shown in the trailer, cited as an example, is in fact from 2011, five years before the couple started dating. Another snippet from the trailer showing paparazzi swarming a vehicle appears to have been shot in 2019 outside the apartment of Michael Cohen, former President Donald Trump’s ex-lawyer.
Harry and Meghan have not commented on the docuseries since its release. Netflix has also not commented on the recent criticism.
The timing of the first trailer’s release was also controversial as it dropped just before William and his wife Kate, the princess of Wales, arrived in Boston for their first trip to the U.S. in eight years.
The two couples, who last reunited publicly in September for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, did not see each other during William and Kate’s U.S. trip.
Docuseries is made ‘in association’ with Sussexes’ production company
The final three episodes of Prince Harry and Meghan’s docuseries will be released on Netflix on Dec. 15.
The Netflix docuseries is part of a deal with the company the couple inked in 2020, shortly after they stepped down from their royal roles. The Sussexes now helm a California-based production company, Archewell Productions.
(BEIJING) — China loosened some key COVID-19 controls on Wednesday after residents began protesting against the strict measures in November.
Authorities did not acknowledge the unrest in their decision but the sudden announcement by China’s State Council Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism directly addresses some of the key concerns of the demonstrators, including relaxing quarantine rules and allowing for home quarantine for mild and asymptomatic cases. Previously, residents who tested positive were sent to a central quarantine facility. People who been in close contact with sick individuals can now self-isolate at home for five days.
Local authorities were in charge of enforcing their own preventative measures and usually erred on the side on excessive curbs, locking down entire neighborhoods, towns and even cities.
Lockdowns are now dependent on individual “buildings, units, floors and households, instead of residential compounds, communities and subdistricts,” according to authorities.
Moreover, quarantine measures will now be lifted if no new infections are reported for five consecutive days.
Authorities will also move away from relying on mass nucleic acid PCR testing and expand the use of rapid antigen tests. Since the Shanghai lockdown in April and May, PCR testing was required in most Chinese cities, with residents needing to have a negative test every 48-72 hours in order to access places including school and offices. Long lines around testing booths became a normal sight across the country throughout the summer and the fall. PCR tests will now only be used for high-risk areas and occupations.
People no longer need to show a valid negative test or a health code to enter public venues or to travel, except when entering hospitals, schools and elderly homes.
While China has relaxed its measures, the ruling Communist Party still intends to control the spread of virus. International borders remain mostly closed and likely will be for the near future. Beijing has not allowed foreign vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer to be used on its population, holding out for its own mRNA technology vaccines, which have been delayed.
According to a new study from predictive health analytics firms Airfinity, at least 1.3 million residents could die if China opened its borders today.
While cases across China have been dropping from a peak of just over 40,000 daily infections, it remains unclear how the easing of restrictions will pan out.
The annual Lunar New Year travel period, which begins the first weekend of January, could be a challenge for controlling a larger outbreak. Hundreds of millions will be traveling back and forth to their hometowns, increasing their potential risk to the virus.
(NEW YORK) — A sanctioned Ukrainian politician who U.S. authorities said has ties to Russian intelligence services was hit with new criminal charges Wednesday over his alleged purchase of two condominiums in Beverly Hills, California.
The charges were announced by federal prosecutors in Brooklyn and the Justice Department’s KleptoCapture task force against Andrii Derkach, a member of Ukraine’s parliament who has been labeled by the United States as a Russian agent and who allegedly sought to influence the 2020 presidential election by meeting with and funneling disinformation about Joe Biden to Rudy Giuliani.
Derkach is charged in a seven-count indictment with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, bank fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and four counts of money laundering. Derkach allegedly purchased the two California properties in violation of new U.S. sanctions imposed earlier this year and concealed his interest in the transactions.
“The conduct of this Kremlin asset, who was sanctioned for trying to poison our democracy, has shown he is ready, willing, and capable of exploiting banking system in order to advance his illicit goals. The U.S. will not be a safe haven where criminals, oligarchs or sanctioned entities can hide their ill-gotten gains or influence our elections,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace in a statement announcing the charges.
Derkach, who remains at large, was sanctioned for his alleged efforts to influence the 2020 U.S. presidential election on behalf of the Russian intelligence services while prosecutors said he simultaneously conspired to fraudulently benefit from a comfortable life in the U.S.
“Attempting to enjoy the safety, security, and freedoms of an open society, while secretly working to undermine that very society, is a hypocrisy that runs through every sanctions charge announced by the Task Force. It is a particularly egregious hypocrisy in the case of Andrii Derkach – sanctioned for attempts to undermine American democracy, while corruptly seeking to benefit from its protections,” said KleptoCapture Director Andrew C. Adams.
Derkach, a member of a pro-Russian political party, allegedly schemed to purchase and maintain two luxury condominiums in Beverly Hills while concealing his interest in the transactions from U.S. financial institutions, according to the complaint. He faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
Treasury officials previously said Derkach controlled two websites that helped spread disinformation about U.S. officials.
Giuliani traveled to Ukraine in 2019 with OAN news anchor Chanel Rion where the two met with Derkach for an interview and took documents from him. Federal prosecutors in New York investigated Giuliani’s activities in Ukraine but decided earlier this year not to file criminal charges.
(LONDON) — Thousands of police officers have carried out a series of raids across much of Germany on Wednesday morning against suspected far-right extremists who allegedly sought to overthrow the state by force, according to the Attorney General at the Federal Court of Justice in Germany.
Federal prosecutors said some 3,000 officers conducted searches at 130 sites in 11 of Germany’s 16 states against adherents of the so-called Reich Citizens movement.
Prosecutors said 25 German citizens were detained on suspicion of “membership in a terrorist organization” and that the group, which was not identified in their statement announcing the raids, is alleged to have believed in a “conglomerate of conspiracy theories consisting of narratives from the so-called Reich Citizens as well as Q-Anon ideology,” according to a statement by prosecutors.
Many had military training and some of those arrested include former soldiers.
The arrests were made at various locations in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Saxony and Thuringia. At least two arrests were made outside of Germany’s borders — one in the Kitzbühel region of Austria and the other in Perugia in Italy.
Searches were also conducted in a number of other federal states including Brandenburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland.
“The accused belong to a terrorist organization founded by the end of November 2021 at the latest, which has set itself the goal of overcoming the existing state order in Germany and replacing it with its own form of government, which has already been developed in outline,” federal prosecutors said in a statement following the raids. “The members of the association are aware that this project can only be realized through the use of military means and violence against state representatives. This also includes committing homicides. The accused are united by a deep rejection of the state institutions and the free democratic basic order of the Federal Republic of Germany.”
Authorities are expected to hold a press conference later Wednesday detailing the massive operation.
(NEW YORK) — Tom and Pam Trusdale were enjoying a bucket list trip to Antarctica, until their trip of a lifetime turned into a deadly disaster.
“It was going real smoothly, and we were only anticipating nothing but smooth going forward,” Tom Trusdale told ABC News.
The Trusdales were passengers on the Viking Polaris cruise ship sailing toward Ushuaia, Argentina, when it was hit by a “rogue wave” last week, killing an American passenger, Sheri Zhu, and injuring four others.
The Trusdales said the wave wasn’t the only disaster. The Trusdales and ABC News later confirmed that a day before the accident, another passenger was seriously injured during a Zodiac boat excursion.
“It was a real loud, it was a boom, and I flew up in the air, and the passenger across from me flew up in the air. She came down and hit hard,” Pam Trusdale said.
Tom Trusdale said he saw two passengers tossed into the air from what seemed to be an apparent explosion.
“I saw the woman go, probably about 3 feet in the air, and then the gentleman straight across from me go up in the air, and then roll over into the sea,” Tom Trusdale said. “So I went across and leaned over the pontoon, and I just grabbed on to the life jacket. He was face up, so he was stabilized, and I reassured him that, ‘Hey, you’re safe.'”
Tom Trusdale said he and another passenger were able to quickly pull the man back on the boat, but the woman’s leg was severely injured.
“She said, ‘I hurt my legs. I can’t feel my leg,'” Pam Trusdale said. ” And then I could hear her kind of straining that, you know, I could tell that she was in a lot of pain.”
The passenger’s leg required surgery, which led the ship’s captain to turn back to Argentina. During the trip back toward Argentina, through a known turbulent stretch of ocean, was when the “rogue wave” crashed into the cruise ship.
“This wave hit it and came over and literally broke through windows and just washed into these rooms, and not only did it wash into the rooms, but it broke walls down, and once some walls went into the next room,” Tom Trusdale said.
Viking said in a statement on its website that it’s investigating the wave incident and is committed to the safety and security of all guests and crew.
Viking issued a second statement about the Zodiac boat incident, saying: “On November 28, the Viking Polaris deployed a small boat with six guests and one crew member near Damoy Point, Antarctica. On this trip a guest sustained a serious but non-life-threatening leg injury while on board the small boat and was taken to the medical center on the Viking Polaris.”
“Following a detailed diagnosis by the ship’s medical team, the decision was taken for the ship to immediately sail to Ushuaia so that the guest could receive additional medical care from a shore-based hospital,” it continued. “The guest is now recovering shoreside in Ushuaia and will then return home; Viking is continuing to support them during this period. We are committed to the safety and security of all our guests and crew, and we are investigating the cause of the incident.”
(NEW YORK) — More than six months after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion into neighboring Ukraine, the two countries are engaged in a struggle for control of areas throughout eastern and southern Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose forces began an offensive in August, has vowed to take back all Russian-occupied territory. But Putin in September announced a mobilization of reservists, which is expected to call up as many as 300,000 additional troops.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Dec 06, 4:22 PM EST
Ukrainian special forces were deep in Russia to guide drone, senior Ukrainian official says
Ukrainian special forces were deep inside Russian territory and helped guide drones to at least one of the bases hit in Monday’s attacks, a senior official from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s inner-circle confirmed to ABC News.
-ABC News’ Marcus Moore
Dec 06, 2:28 PM EST
White House does not have assessment on drone attacks inside Russia
The U.S. does not have an assessment on recent drone attacks deep inside Russia, which a person close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told ABC News Ukraine is responsible for, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday.
“I don’t want to speculate about whether Ukraine is responsible for these attacks,” Jean-Pierre said.
Jean-Pierre also told reporters Russia is to blame for this conflict.
-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson
Dec 06, 11:30 AM EST
Russia now out of Iranian-made drones, Western officials say
According to Western officials, Russia has run out of Iranian-made drones. Russia had been using the lethal drones, along with missiles, in a wave of aerial bombardments on Ukrainian infrastructure over a period of several weeks.
But, the drones have been absent in recent Russian attacks. A western official said the Russians “anticipate a resupply.”
In light of Ukraine’s apparent drone attacks on military airbases deep inside Russia, Western officials said Russia will now be undergoing “a significant amount of soul-searching” over their ability to defend significant military assets deep inside Russia’s borders.
The official, who characterized the attacks as “an egregious failure of security” said the Russian military’s potential had been consistently overestimated by the west.
“I no longer think the Russians are ten-feet tall,” the official said.
-ABC News’ Tom Soufi Burridge
Dec 06, 10:17 AM EST
Ukrainian drone crashes into military airfield in Russia
A Ukrainian drone crashed into a military airfield in Russia, setting an oil tanker on fire, according to the governor of Russia’s Kursk region.
There were no casualties at the Kursk base. This comes a day after drone attacks on two Russian airbases where jets used to bomb Ukraine are housed. No one immediately claimed responsibility.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti
Dec 05, 10:36 AM EST
Missiles rain on Ukraine after purported drone strikes in Russia
A new barrage of missiles strikes was launched against Ukraine on Monday, hitting targets across the country, including the capital city of Kyiv, officials said.
Casualties and damage from the attacks were being assessed, Ukrainian officials said.
The majority of the missiles were shot down by air defense forces, Ukrainian officials said.
Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said the Russians launched missiles from the Volgodonsk, Caspian and Black seas.
The strikes damaged two infrastructure objects in the Odesa region, leaving the area without electricity and running water, officials said. One person was hospitalized, according to Ukrainian officials.
Odesa Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov said a missile hit a substation that supplies the city of Belvaevska’s pumping station with electricity.
According to the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, missile strikes in the Zaporizhzhia region killed two people and injured three others, including a toddler, in the village of Novosofiyivka.
Explosion were also heard in Cherkasy, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, Kherson and Cherkasy, officials said.
The missile strikes followed reports from Russian media outlets that drones were used to bomb two military air bases in Russia, hundreds of miles from the Ukrainian border.
Ukrainian officials have not claimed responsibility for the drone attacks, but Mykhailo Podolyak, a top adviser to Ukraine’s president, posted a cryptic tweet, saying “if you launch something very often into the airspace of other countries, sooner or later the unknown flying objects will return to the place of departure.”
Dec 02, 2:18 PM EST
No peace talks till Russian soldiers leave, Ukraine says
Ukraine said it would not consider peace talks before the last Russian soldier leaves Ukrainian territory. This comes after President Joe Biden indicating he would be willing to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin if he has legitimate interest in peace negotiations.
Ukraine also said that there must not be any peace negotiations without Ukraine, reiterating that Biden has been clear that there won’t be any talks happening without the participation of U.S. allies and Ukraine.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Dec 02, 2:17 PM EST
IAEA expresses optimism over creation of protection zone around Zaporizhzhia
The International Atomic Energy Agency expressed optimism over possibly creating a safe zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant before the end of the year.
“I know that President Putin is following the process, and I do not rule out another meeting with him soon, as well as with Ukrainian President Zelensky,” IAEA Director General Rafael Rossi said in an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica.
“There is a concrete proposal on securing Zaporizhzhia and important progress has been made. …The two sides now agree on some basic principles. The first is that of protection: it means accepting that you don’t shoot ‘on’ the plant and ‘from’ the plant. The second is the recognition that the IAEA is the only possible way forward: that was the heart of my meeting with President Putin in St. Petersburg on October 11,” Rossi added.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Dec 02, 12:27 PM EST
Bloody packages with animal eyes sent to Ukrainian embassies
Packages believed to be blood-soaked and containing the eyes of animals, were sent to Ukrainian embassies worldwide, including in Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Croatia and Italy, the Ukrainian ministry of foreign affairs said Friday.
The entrance to the ambassador’s residence in the Vatican was also vandalized, according to the Ukrainian ministry of foreign affairs.
The Ukrainian embassy in the U.S. received a letter with a photocopy of a critical article about Ukraine. Like most other envelopes, the letter arrived along with others from the territory of an unnamed European country.
“We have reason to believe that a well-planned campaign of terror and intimidation of Ukrainian embassies and consulates is taking place. Not being able to stop Ukraine on the diplomatic front, they are trying to intimidate us. However, I can immediately say that these attempts are useless. We will continue to work effectively for the victory of Ukraine,” the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba said in a statement.
The Ukrainian embassy in Spain received a letter-bomb on Wednesday which was opened and ignited, resulting in one slight injury.
A similar envelope was sent to the U.S. embassy in Madrid, but it was detected before going off, according to Spanish officials.
All Ukrainian embassies and consulates have been placed under heightened security. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on foreign governments to guarantee maximum protection of Ukraine’s diplomatic institutions.
Dec 01, 3:28 PM EST
Biden ‘prepared to speak with Putin’ if he wants to end war
Speaking at a joint press conference with France’s Emmanuel Macron, President Joe Biden said he would be open to speaking with Vladimir Putin if the Russian leader has legitimate interest in peace negotiations. Biden, however, said he has “no immediate plans to contact Mr. Putin.”
Biden also noted that Putin has “miscalculated every single thing” when it comes to this war.
“So the question is what is his — how does he get himself out of the circumstance he’s in? I’m prepared if he’s willing to talk to find out what he’s willing to do, but I’ll only do it in consultation with my NATO. I’m not going to do it on my own,” Biden said.
Meanwhile, President Macron, who has continued speaking with Putin, said it’s up to Ukraine to come to the negotiating table.
“So it’s only legitimate that President Zelenskyy sets some conditions to talk. We need to work on what could lead to a peace agreement. But it’s for him to tell us when the time comes and what the choices of the Ukrainians are,” Macron said.
-ABC News’ Sarah Kolinovsky
Dec 01, 1:46 PM EST
Shelling in Kherson damages power lines as energy company works to finish repairs
Electricity was back for 60% of customers in the Ukrainian city of Kherson, but shelling overnight damaged power lines, according to the head of Ukraine’s regional energy company.
Workers are hoping to finish the repairs by the end of Thursday.
In Kyiv, 652,000 residents were subject to power outages throughout Thursday, according to the director of YASNO energy company, Serhiy Kovalenko. Kyiv’s main power grid is operating at less than 70% capacity and 20% of residents are still without power or heat.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Dec 01, 12:20 PM EST
Russia accuses US, NATO of direct involvement in war
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the West of being directly involved in the war in Ukraine by supplying the country with weapons and training its soldiers.
“You are training their military on your territory, on the territories of Britain, Germany, Italy and other countries,” Lavrov said at a press conference Thursday.
Lavrov also claimed that Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities and other key infrastructure were intended to weaken Ukraine’s military potential and derail the shipments of weapons from the West.
Lavrov also said Moscow is open to peace talks to end the conflict.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Nov 29, 11:47 AM EST
US to send $53M in energy aid to help Ukraine through winter
The U.S. will provide Ukraine with more than $53 million to acquire critical electric grid equipment to help its citizens get through the winter, the State Department announced Tuesday.
The announcement comes amid Russia’s continued attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
“This new assistance is in addition to $55 million in emergency energy sector support for generators and other equipment to help restore emergency power and heat to local municipalities impacted by Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s power system,” the State Department said in a release.
-ABC News’ Matt Seyler
Nov 28, 4:36 PM EST
UN lays out ‘dire’ situation in southern Ukraine
Denise Brown, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Ukraine, traveled to the Ukrainian cities of Kherson and Mykolaiv over the weekend to get an update on the humanitarian issues affecting the southern part of the country, according to the U.N.
Although repairs to the area’s water system are finally able to commence, there is still a lot of work to be done to help the people in those cities, the U.N said.
“We continue to be concerned about the plight of civilians in Ukraine especially as winter sets in,” a U.N. spokesperson said in a statement.
Some heating points have already been established in Mykolaiv to help people who cannot heat their homes, according to the U.N.
“Aid workers are providing supplies and generators to make these places functional,” the U.N. said in a statement.
The agency added that donations and funding for humanitarian efforts are critical as the cold weather sets in.
Nov 25, 1:13 PM EST
Power restored in all regions, Ukraine grid operator says
All of Ukraine’s regions are now connected to the European Union’s energy system and all three nuclear power plants located in the Kyiv-controlled area are working, CEO of Ukrenergo grid operator Volodymyr Kudrytskyi announced.
“In one to two days, they will reach their normal planned capacity, and we expect to introduce planned rolling blackouts instead of emergency outages,” Kudrytskyi said.
Power is slowly returning to all Ukrainian cities, but blackouts and emergency shutdowns continue. Power issues are the worst in Kyiv, Kirivigrad, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Poltava and Lviv, according to Kudrytskyi.
Kyiv’s critical infrastructure receives electricity, the water supply is fully restored and heating is being restored, but 50% of residential houses remain without power. Only one-third of houses currently have heating, according to the mayor.
(NEW YORK) — More than six months after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion into neighboring Ukraine, the two countries are engaged in a struggle for control of areas throughout eastern and southern Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose forces began an offensive in August, has vowed to take back all Russian-occupied territory. But Putin in September announced a mobilization of reservists, which is expected to call up as many as 300,000 additional troops.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Dec 06, 4:22 PM EST
Ukrainian special forces were deep in Russia to guide drone, senior Ukrainian official says
Ukrainian special forces were deep inside Russian territory and helped guide drones to at least one of the bases hit in Monday’s attacks, a senior official from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s inner-circle confirmed to ABC News.
-ABC News’ Marcus Moore
Dec 06, 2:28 PM EST
White House does not have assessment on drone attacks inside Russia
The U.S. does not have an assessment on recent drone attacks deep inside Russia, which a person close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told ABC News Ukraine is responsible for, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday.
“I don’t want to speculate about whether Ukraine is responsible for these attacks,” Jean-Pierre said.
Jean-Pierre also told reporters Russia is to blame for this conflict.
-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson
Dec 06, 11:30 AM EST
Russia now out of Iranian-made drones, Western officials say
According to Western officials, Russia has run out of Iranian-made drones. Russia had been using the lethal drones, along with missiles, in a wave of aerial bombardments on Ukrainian infrastructure over a period of several weeks.
But, the drones have been absent in recent Russian attacks. A western official said the Russians “anticipate a resupply.”
In light of Ukraine’s apparent drone attacks on military airbases deep inside Russia, Western officials said Russia will now be undergoing “a significant amount of soul-searching” over their ability to defend significant military assets deep inside Russia’s borders.
The official, who characterized the attacks as “an egregious failure of security” said the Russian military’s potential had been consistently overestimated by the west.
“I no longer think the Russians are ten-feet tall,” the official said.
-ABC News’ Tom Soufi Burridge
Dec 06, 10:17 AM EST
Ukrainian drone crashes into military airfield in Russia
A Ukrainian drone crashed into a military airfield in Russia, setting an oil tanker on fire, according to the governor of Russia’s Kursk region.
There were no casualties at the Kursk base. This comes a day after drone attacks on two Russian airbases where jets used to bomb Ukraine are housed. No one immediately claimed responsibility.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti
Dec 05, 10:36 AM EST
Missiles rain on Ukraine after purported drone strikes in Russia
A new barrage of missiles strikes was launched against Ukraine on Monday, hitting targets across the country, including the capital city of Kyiv, officials said.
Casualties and damage from the attacks were being assessed, Ukrainian officials said.
The majority of the missiles were shot down by air defense forces, Ukrainian officials said.
Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said the Russians launched missiles from the Volgodonsk, Caspian and Black seas.
The strikes damaged two infrastructure objects in the Odesa region, leaving the area without electricity and running water, officials said. One person was hospitalized, according to Ukrainian officials.
Odesa Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov said a missile hit a substation that supplies the city of Belvaevska’s pumping station with electricity.
According to the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, missile strikes in the Zaporizhzhia region killed two people and injured three others, including a toddler, in the village of Novosofiyivka.
Explosion were also heard in Cherkasy, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, Kherson and Cherkasy, officials said.
The missile strikes followed reports from Russian media outlets that drones were used to bomb two military air bases in Russia, hundreds of miles from the Ukrainian border.
Ukrainian officials have not claimed responsibility for the drone attacks, but Mykhailo Podolyak, a top adviser to Ukraine’s president, posted a cryptic tweet, saying “if you launch something very often into the airspace of other countries, sooner or later the unknown flying objects will return to the place of departure.”
Dec 02, 2:18 PM EST
No peace talks till Russian soldiers leave, Ukraine says
Ukraine said it would not consider peace talks before the last Russian soldier leaves Ukrainian territory. This comes after President Joe Biden indicating he would be willing to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin if he has legitimate interest in peace negotiations.
Ukraine also said that there must not be any peace negotiations without Ukraine, reiterating that Biden has been clear that there won’t be any talks happening without the participation of U.S. allies and Ukraine.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Dec 02, 2:17 PM EST
IAEA expresses optimism over creation of protection zone around Zaporizhzhia
The International Atomic Energy Agency expressed optimism over possibly creating a safe zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant before the end of the year.
“I know that President Putin is following the process, and I do not rule out another meeting with him soon, as well as with Ukrainian President Zelensky,” IAEA Director General Rafael Rossi said in an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica.
“There is a concrete proposal on securing Zaporizhzhia and important progress has been made. …The two sides now agree on some basic principles. The first is that of protection: it means accepting that you don’t shoot ‘on’ the plant and ‘from’ the plant. The second is the recognition that the IAEA is the only possible way forward: that was the heart of my meeting with President Putin in St. Petersburg on October 11,” Rossi added.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Dec 02, 12:27 PM EST
Bloody packages with animal eyes sent to Ukrainian embassies
Packages believed to be blood-soaked and containing the eyes of animals, were sent to Ukrainian embassies worldwide, including in Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Croatia and Italy, the Ukrainian ministry of foreign affairs said Friday.
The entrance to the ambassador’s residence in the Vatican was also vandalized, according to the Ukrainian ministry of foreign affairs.
The Ukrainian embassy in the U.S. received a letter with a photocopy of a critical article about Ukraine. Like most other envelopes, the letter arrived along with others from the territory of an unnamed European country.
“We have reason to believe that a well-planned campaign of terror and intimidation of Ukrainian embassies and consulates is taking place. Not being able to stop Ukraine on the diplomatic front, they are trying to intimidate us. However, I can immediately say that these attempts are useless. We will continue to work effectively for the victory of Ukraine,” the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba said in a statement.
The Ukrainian embassy in Spain received a letter-bomb on Wednesday which was opened and ignited, resulting in one slight injury.
A similar envelope was sent to the U.S. embassy in Madrid, but it was detected before going off, according to Spanish officials.
All Ukrainian embassies and consulates have been placed under heightened security. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on foreign governments to guarantee maximum protection of Ukraine’s diplomatic institutions.
Dec 01, 3:28 PM EST
Biden ‘prepared to speak with Putin’ if he wants to end war
Speaking at a joint press conference with France’s Emmanuel Macron, President Joe Biden said he would be open to speaking with Vladimir Putin if the Russian leader has legitimate interest in peace negotiations. Biden, however, said he has “no immediate plans to contact Mr. Putin.”
Biden also noted that Putin has “miscalculated every single thing” when it comes to this war.
“So the question is what is his — how does he get himself out of the circumstance he’s in? I’m prepared if he’s willing to talk to find out what he’s willing to do, but I’ll only do it in consultation with my NATO. I’m not going to do it on my own,” Biden said.
Meanwhile, President Macron, who has continued speaking with Putin, said it’s up to Ukraine to come to the negotiating table.
“So it’s only legitimate that President Zelenskyy sets some conditions to talk. We need to work on what could lead to a peace agreement. But it’s for him to tell us when the time comes and what the choices of the Ukrainians are,” Macron said.
-ABC News’ Sarah Kolinovsky
Dec 01, 1:46 PM EST
Shelling in Kherson damages power lines as energy company works to finish repairs
Electricity was back for 60% of customers in the Ukrainian city of Kherson, but shelling overnight damaged power lines, according to the head of Ukraine’s regional energy company.
Workers are hoping to finish the repairs by the end of Thursday.
In Kyiv, 652,000 residents were subject to power outages throughout Thursday, according to the director of YASNO energy company, Serhiy Kovalenko. Kyiv’s main power grid is operating at less than 70% capacity and 20% of residents are still without power or heat.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Dec 01, 12:20 PM EST
Russia accuses US, NATO of direct involvement in war
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the West of being directly involved in the war in Ukraine by supplying the country with weapons and training its soldiers.
“You are training their military on your territory, on the territories of Britain, Germany, Italy and other countries,” Lavrov said at a press conference Thursday.
Lavrov also claimed that Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities and other key infrastructure were intended to weaken Ukraine’s military potential and derail the shipments of weapons from the West.
Lavrov also said Moscow is open to peace talks to end the conflict.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Nov 29, 11:47 AM EST
US to send $53M in energy aid to help Ukraine through winter
The U.S. will provide Ukraine with more than $53 million to acquire critical electric grid equipment to help its citizens get through the winter, the State Department announced Tuesday.
The announcement comes amid Russia’s continued attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
“This new assistance is in addition to $55 million in emergency energy sector support for generators and other equipment to help restore emergency power and heat to local municipalities impacted by Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s power system,” the State Department said in a release.
-ABC News’ Matt Seyler
Nov 28, 4:36 PM EST
UN lays out ‘dire’ situation in southern Ukraine
Denise Brown, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Ukraine, traveled to the Ukrainian cities of Kherson and Mykolaiv over the weekend to get an update on the humanitarian issues affecting the southern part of the country, according to the U.N.
Although repairs to the area’s water system are finally able to commence, there is still a lot of work to be done to help the people in those cities, the U.N said.
“We continue to be concerned about the plight of civilians in Ukraine especially as winter sets in,” a U.N. spokesperson said in a statement.
Some heating points have already been established in Mykolaiv to help people who cannot heat their homes, according to the U.N.
“Aid workers are providing supplies and generators to make these places functional,” the U.N. said in a statement.
The agency added that donations and funding for humanitarian efforts are critical as the cold weather sets in.
Nov 25, 1:13 PM EST
Power restored in all regions, Ukraine grid operator says
All of Ukraine’s regions are now connected to the European Union’s energy system and all three nuclear power plants located in the Kyiv-controlled area are working, CEO of Ukrenergo grid operator Volodymyr Kudrytskyi announced.
“In one to two days, they will reach their normal planned capacity, and we expect to introduce planned rolling blackouts instead of emergency outages,” Kudrytskyi said.
Power is slowly returning to all Ukrainian cities, but blackouts and emergency shutdowns continue. Power issues are the worst in Kyiv, Kirivigrad, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Poltava and Lviv, according to Kudrytskyi.
Kyiv’s critical infrastructure receives electricity, the water supply is fully restored and heating is being restored, but 50% of residential houses remain without power. Only one-third of houses currently have heating, according to the mayor.
