45,000 in Ukraine without power after Russian strikes

Russia says tt cannot accept US proposals on Ukraine in current form; Putin stalling on Ukraine talks, claims German foreign minister.

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Tens of thousands of people in southern Ukraine have been left without power after Russian strikes, despite Kremlin claims it is not launching attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, Kyiv said on Tuesday.

Russia has rejected a joint US-Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional and full ceasefire, but says it agreed a temporary halt on Ukrainian energy sites. Kyiv says Russia has repeatedly hit energy sites anyway.

"This morning, another Russian strike damaged a power facility in Kherson, leaving 45,000 residents without electricity," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga told a news conference.

Russia has launched systematic aerial attacks on Ukrainian power plants and grid since invading in February 2022.

Moscow has also accused Kyiv of striking Russian energy sites and on Tuesday said there had been fresh attacks in the Russian region of Belgorod and the partially Moscow-controlled Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhia.

At the start of a meeting with top security officials Tuesday, President Vladimir Putin asked Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov to update him on how "agreements are being fulfilled with regard to the end of mutual strikes on energy systems between Russia and Ukraine".