Ukraine hails new air defenses from West

KYIV, Ukraine (AFP) — Ukraine announced Monday it had received more air defense systems from Western military allies, as officials in Kyiv asked residents to use electricity sparingly after weeks of Russian attacks on energy facilities.

The new weaponry comes as a question mark hovers over American support for Ukraine ahead of elections on Tuesday which will determine control of the United States Congress.

Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov announced Monday that Ukraine had received National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System and Italian Aspide air defenses, adding to weapons supplied by Germany.

"These weapons will significantly strengthen the Ukrainian army and will make our skies safer," Reznikov said on social media.

"We will continue to shoot down the enemy targets attacking us. Thank you to our partners — Norway, Spain and the US," Reznikov added.

Ukraine's defense ministry meanwhile said it was requisitioning several energy and manufacturing companies of strategic importance to guarantee sufficient supplies for the military to fend off Russia's invasion.

The secretary of Ukraine's national security and defence council Oleksiy Danilov said the decision to take over several companies was made "in connection with military necessity."

Danilov said the enterprises include aircraft engine manufacturer Motor Sich working from the partially Russian-controlled region of Zaporizhzhia, and the oil and gas company UkrNafta.

Attacks by Moscow's forces, including with Iranian-made drones over the past month, have destroyed around 40 percent of Ukraine's power stations.

The Deputy Head of Presidency Kyrylo Tymoshenko said one person was killed by Russian shelling in the Zaporizhzhia region, and another was killed in the northeastern Sumy region.

Those attacks came a day after Russian-installed authorities in the southern region of Ukraine, Kherson, said attacks by Kyiv's forces had cut power and electricity to the region's main city, also called Kherson.

But authorities said Monday that power had been partially restored again in the city, towards which Ukrainian forces have been slowly advancing for weeks, saying that "all critical infrastructure" was back online.