Russia targets a cargo ship carrying "dual-use materials" for Kiev

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The Russian Armed Forces targeted a dry cargo ship in the northwestern part of the Black Sea, which was carrying dual-use materials, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced in a statement.

The ministry's statement said: "A dry cargo ship was targeted in the northwestern part of the Black Sea. It was carrying a dual-use cargo to the port of Odessa, intended for supplies to the Ukrainian army."

Russian air defense systems intercepted and shot down 218 Ukrainian drones in the airspace of 14 Russian provinces, and over the waters of the Black Sea and the Sea of ​​Azov, last night, according to what the Russian Ministry of Defense announced in its statement.

She added: “During the period from 20:00 on October 2 until 08:00 in the morning on October 3, air defense systems intercepted and shot down 218 Ukrainian drones in the airspace of the provinces of Astrakhan, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kaluga, Kursk, Oryol, Rostov, Ryazan, Smolensk, Tula, Moscow and its environs, and the region.” Krasnodar, the Republic of Crimea, and over the waters of the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.”

Russia is preparing to launch a massive campaign against the energy infrastructure in Ukraine during the winter, in an attempt to plunge Ukrainian cities into darkness and cold and disrupt water supplies, according to a Russian document that Kiev said it obtained through intelligence interception, and a copy of which was seen by the New York Times.

The document, dated August and written in Russian, reveals a plan to carry out systematic attacks using up to a thousand missiles, drones and bombs, targeting electrical transmission stations, thermal and hydroelectric power plants, and heating facilities.

According to the newspaper, Ukrainian Energy Minister Denis Shmyhal presented the document to European partners in Paris two weeks ago, and presented it as a Russian plan aimed at bringing down the Ukrainian energy system through a series of gradual strikes.

The plan includes targeting the electricity distribution yards linked to the three operating Ukrainian nuclear plants, with the aim of forcing them to stop working. The distribution yards are located less than a mile from the reactors.