Russian strikes intensify as Europe braces for fallout and peace efforts progress.
Photo Credit: State Emergency Service of Ukraine / Wikimedia Commons
IN AN overnight attack from Friday, November 28 into Saturday, November 29, Russia launched one of its largest-scale attacks on Ukraine, launching nearly 600 drones and killing at least three people and injuring around two dozen. Additionally, the attack left more than half a million people without electricity on the morning of Saturday. The attack comes a mere four days after Ukraine reportedly agreed to the core framework of a peace deal, brokered by US President Donald Trump.
An overnight attack involving hundreds of drones, half a million without power
The attack involved a reported 596 drones and 36 different types of missiles, according to Ukraine’s Armed Forces. Ukraine’s defence forces managed to shoot down 558 of the drones and 19 of the missiles, but 22 different locations were hit directly and 17 other locations were hit by falling debris. The capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, was the main target of the attack, where one woman died and eight other people were injured, according to regional police in a statement made on Saturday.
Some 500,000 people in the capital city of Kyiv, as well as an additional 100,000 living in the region were left without electricity amid bitterly cold 4ºC-8ºC temperatures. As of now, power has been restored to some 360,000 people. Kyiv states that Russia is intentionally targeting the energy sector in order to wage psychological warfare against civilians.
Ukraine has also confirmed their attack on a major Russian oil terminal, in an effort to deprive Moscow of the oil export revenue it needs to fund the war.
This weekend, Ukrainian negotiators will visit the US for talks on Washington’s plan to end the Ukraine war, according to a senior official. At the tail end of next week, a US delegation is expected to travel to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
What the drone attacks mean for Europe
The overnight assault marks one of the largest-scale Russian attacks on Ukraine, and highlights the unsteady ground that is being walked when it comes to peace deals. The perilousness of the situation reflects not only a severe safety situation for Ukrainians, but for the whole of Europe, as the risk of attack spillover and violation of European airspace looms.
European nations, including Spain, have condemned Russia’s acts of war against Ukraine and have doubled down on support for Ukrainian defence. Various other European countries have sent financial and humanitarian aid, and in the case of Sweden, European military planes have been sent in an effort to aid their defence.
Increased attacks will also have immense ripple effects across the whole of Europe, as the need for humanitarian aid will rise and Ukrainian refugees will seek asylum, support, and security in other European countries, which could directly affect locals and expatriates, primarily economically.
Spain’s delicate migrant situation – ‘under migratory pressure’
The topic of refugees is already a particularly sensitive one in Spain, which already sees a surge of immigrants and asylum seekers from all over the world, many of them attempting to arrive in the country by boat. Spain was one of the countries deemed to be “under migratory pressure” by the European Union, and just this month, the EU proposed a solidarity plan to ease the migratory pressure on many countries, including Spain.
While the Spanish government supports EU humanitarian politics, many right-wing parties within Spain argue that the country is being overwhelmed with migrants. Additionally, the arrival of a significant number of migrants could affect tourism and cause local strain on economies. Notwithstanding, new migrants may help to balance out Spain’s ageing population and provide more workers in sectors that need labour in the country.
Though the immigrant crisis in Spain has eased in recent months, it remains a pressing and controversial issue, and is the subject of much debate in Spain.
A situation depending on upcoming peace talks
In short, the delicate situation between Russia and Ukraine is one that should be closely paid attention to, as it has the potential to affect many European countries on an economic, social, and political scale, including Spain. As government officials attempt to negotiate a peace deal and bring the devastating war to an end, the following weeks will be crucial for laying the foundation upon which future talks and, hopefully, future ceasefires, will be built.
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