Biden Approves Limited Cross-Border Strikes as Ukrainian Power Plants Suffer New Attacks

A hydroelectric plant on the Dnieper River near Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, is in a "critical condition" following a missile attack by Russian forces, local authorities reported last night, as cited by DPA. The head of the regional military administration in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, Ivan Fyodorov, told Ukrainian state television that experts need to assess the safety of the dam where the plant is located.

Fyodorov highlighted that the two banks of the river are now completely separated, preventing local residents from crossing the water. The Dnipro hydropower plant has faced multiple attacks in recent months by Russian forces. A significant missile strike in late March caused a fire and severe damage, leading to a temporary suspension of operations. On Saturday night, the plant was hit again, temporarily halting traffic through the dam.

Yesterday, Ukrenergo, the national electricity system operator, reported power losses in the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions in the east, southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, central Kirovgrad region, and Ivano-Frankivsk region in the west. Ukraine's largest private power producer noted that two of its thermal power plants were damaged in the attack, causing significant equipment damage. Since the full-scale Russian invasion began in February 2022, Ukraine has lost over eight thousand megawatts of power capacity, resulting in blackouts and rising electricity prices.

In other news, US President Joe Biden has instructed his security experts to amend the guidelines for Ukraine's use of US weapons against military targets on Russian soil. This change does not extend to the use of long-range tactical missiles, according to Michael Carpenter, the director for Europe at the National Security Council at...