Zelenskiy expresses doubt that Russian mobilisation is really over

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday expressed doubt over Russia's declaration that its partial mobilisation was over, saying the poor performance of pro-Moscow forces meant more men could be needed.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu earlier said the call-up of 300,000 reservists to fight in Ukraine was complete.

"We have reports the enemy has completed its mobilisation, as if there is no longer a need to send new waves of Russian citizens to the front. We feel very differently on the front lines," Zelenskiy said in a video address.

"Even though Russia is trying to increase the pressure on our positions by using conscripts, they are so poorly prepared and equipped, so brutally used by their command, that it allows us to presume that very soon Russia may need a new wave of people to send to the war."

POWER CUTS

Four million people across Ukraine have been hit by power cuts due to Russia's bombing campaign, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday, as officials in the capital Kyiv warned of "unprecedented" outages.

Zelensky was speaking hours after Russia said it had completed its call-up of 300,000 reservists to fight there.

The United States meanwhile announced fresh military aid to Ukraine -- in part because of Russia's attacks on the country's civilian infrastructure.

In his evening address Friday, Zelensky stressed that the whole country was suffering the consequences of the Russian campaign.

"About 4 million Ukrainians face restrictions now" from the rolling blackouts, he said. "We are doing everything so that the state has the opportunity to reduce such blackouts."

Russian forces have for weeks pummelled Ukraine with air strikes especially targeting energy infrastructure, destroying at least a third of the country's power facilities ahead of winter.

As a result, energy company DTEK, the operator for the Kyiv region, warned Friday that Russian strikes meant it would have to introduce "unprecedented" power cuts there to prevent a complete blackout.

"More severe and longer blackouts will be implemented in the coming days," it said.

FRESH SANCTIONS

Canada on Friday announced fresh sanctions against 35 individuals and six companies in Russia's energy sector, as a well as a bond issue to support Ukraine.

Those individuals named include National Hockey League player Alexander Frolov and chess grandmaster Anton Demchenko.

Ukraine has repeatedly urged its allies in the West to extend its sanctions to high-profile personalities who have publicly backed Russia's invasion.

At the United Nations on Thursday, Adedeji Ebo, UN's Deputy High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, said he was aware of a Russian complaint alleging biological weapons programme in Ukraine.

So far, he said, "the United Nations is not aware of any such biological weapons programme".