“This time, the direction of the offensive could be changed west of the Belarusian-Ukrainian border to cut off the main logistical arteries of supplying arms and military equipment to Ukraine from partner countries,” Hromov said.

— Ukrainian public services threatened by Russia in the new phase of the war

— EU leaders head for contentious energy crisis summit

– The United States destroys a network providing technology to the Russian army

— Russia asks the Philippines to honor the contract for the purchase of helicopters

– Pence warns of ‘unscrupulous populists’, ‘Putin apologists’

BRUSSELS – The European Union has imposed sanctions on Shahed Aviation Industries in Iran and three generals of the Iranian armed forces for undermining the territorial integrity of Ukraine by helping to supply drones to Russia for use in the war.

Russia reportedly sent waves of Iranian-made Shahed drones over Ukraine to strike power plants and other key infrastructure.

In response, the EU imposed an assets freeze on the company, as well as an asset freeze and travel ban on the three officers who are also suspected of having links to Iran’s drone program.

EU headquarters said in a statement that Thursday’s decision “is a signal of the EU’s determination to respond quickly and decisively to Iran’s actions supporting Russian aggression against Ukraine.” . The EU condemns the delivery of Iranian drones to Russia and their deadly deployment in the war of aggression against Ukraine.

Tehran, Iran – Iran has dismissed claims that it is sending missiles and drones to Russia for Russian forces to use during the invasion of Ukraine.

Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Twitter on Thursday that he had spoken on the phone with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on the matter.

Amirabdollahian describes the claim that Iran was sending missiles and drones to Russia as “baseless”. He adds that “we have defense cooperation with Russia, but without a doubt, sending weapons and drones against Ukraine is not our policy”.

KYIV, Ukraine — More than 3,000 people have called a Ukrainian hotline for Russians who want to surrender rather than fight, organizers say.

The line called “I want to live” was launched in mid-September by the Ukrainian military authorities with a Telegram chatbot. The idea arose after Ukraine took over areas of the Kharkiv region from Russia and wanted to give the Russians a chance to surrender.

“We’ve had cases of Russians calling us when they haven’t been written up yet,” project spokesman Vitalii Matvienko told The Associated Press. “Now there are more calls from newly recruited soldiers.”

Matvienko said the operators had received calls from men in tears, lost because they did not want to participate in the war and feared being drafted. The number of calls increases every time there is a Ukrainian counter-offensive somewhere, he said.

Matvienko said Russia blocked the project’s website but failed to prevent the news from spreading.

KYIV, Ukraine – Ukraine has launched an energy conservation campaign following Russian strikes on energy infrastructure.

From Thursday, Ukrainians are asked to reduce their electricity consumption from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Power outages can also occur as the country tries to respond to the growing number of repairs needed to power plants and other facilities damaged by Russian bombing.

KYIV, Ukraine – Ukrainian authorities said at least three civilians were killed and 14 injured overnight in shelling across the country.

The Russian military fired drones and missiles overnight at eight regions in the country’s southeast, the president’s office said.

The attack on the south-central city of Kryvyi Rih damaged an energy facility and a factory, leaving the city without power.

“Now every neon sign, billboard or washing machine can lead to serious emergency shutdowns,” said regional governor Valentin Reznichenko.

The city is the birthplace of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and an industrial center.

Fighting continued in the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk which were recently illegally annexed by Russia.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said Thursday that Russia’s war in Ukraine had “entered an even more serious phase” and the political security situation in Europe had become more tense after the damage to Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. .

“He got closer to us in Norway,” added Gahr Støre, adding that “nuclear weapons should never be used. A nuclear war cannot be won and must not be fought. The Russian regime knows it too.

Gahr Støre said that when a neighbor threatens to use nuclear weapons, it naturally creates fear. And if there were to be any radioactive fallout in Norway, “we have good nuclear preparedness.”

NATO member Norway has a nearly 200 kilometer (about 125 mile) border with Russia in the Arctic.

Gahr Støre told a press conference that there was no direct military threat against Norway.

KYIV, Ukraine — Russian forces struck new industrial and energy facilities in central Ukraine, prompting attacks on infrastructure.

Russia has declared its intention to increase its targeting of Ukraine’s electricity, water and other vital infrastructure in its final phase of the nearly 8-month war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow forces had destroyed 30% of the country’s power plants since October 10.

The latest attacks took place overnight in Kryvyi Rih area, Dnipropetrovsk region, causing damage, according to regional administrator Valentyn Reznichenko.

He gave no further details.

Russian forces also struck a school in the Zaporizhzhia region early Thursday, deputy head of the President’s office Kyrylo Tymoshenko said on Telegram.

BRUSSELS – European Union leaders head to a two-day summit with opposing views on whether and how the bloc could impose a cap on gas prices to contain the energy crisis caused by the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and its strategy to choke off gas supplies to the bloc.

The need for rock-solid European unity against Russia will be underlined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He is set to address the 27 national leaders via video conference from Kyiv to ask for continued help to get his nation through the winter.

BERLIN — Chancellor Olaf Scholz underlines Germany’s concerns over the idea of ​​a cap on natural gas prices, which many other countries in the European Union are ready to adopt.

Scholz told the German parliament ahead of an EU summit starting later on Thursday that “a politically set price cap always carries the risk that producers then sell their gas elsewhere – and we Europeans ultimately don’t get more gas, but less”.

He said the EU must consult closely with other gas consumers, such as Japan and South Korea, so that they do not compete with each other; and that it is important to discuss with gas producers an “appropriate price”.

Scholz added: “I am convinced that countries like the United States, Canada or Norway, which support Ukraine in solidarity with us, have an interest in ensuring that energy in Europe does not become unaffordable.”

The German leader said the best response to energy shortages is to rapidly expand renewable energy. But he said that to replace Russian gas, “we must also work with countries where there is a possibility of developing new gas fields”, as part of the countries’ commitments under the Paris agreement on the climate.

BERLIN — Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said Germany will train a brigade of up to 5,000 Ukrainian soldiers as part of a European Union training mission approved earlier this week.

The EU on Monday approved the mission, which will initially last two years. Its immediate goal is to train around 15,000 troops, mostly in Poland and Germany, and it is hoped the mission will be operational by mid-November.

Scholz told lawmakers in Berlin on Thursday that one of the headquarters will be in Germany and “by spring we will form a full brigade with up to 5,000 soldiers.”

He said that “with this, we underline our willingness to participate in the long-term construction of strong Ukrainian Armed Forces, hand in hand with our partners”.

Scholz also said that “scorched earth” tactics would not help Russia win its war in Ukraine and stressed that “deliberate attacks on the civilian population are war crimes”.

“They only strengthen the resolve and endurance of Ukraine and its partners,” Scholz said. “Russian bomb and missile terror is ultimately an act of desperation, as is the mobilization of Russian men for war.”

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine