Zelensky announces new talks with partners to support the country's energy system

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced new talks with partners to support the country's energy system, Ukrinform reported.

He did so last night, a day after a massive Russian air strike damaged energy facilities in Ukraine.

"In the coming weeks, we will hold new talks aimed primarily at greater support for the energy sector - concrete solutions, the necessary financing and the equipment that we need. Some countries, in particular from Northern Europe, are already helping us, and we are also preparing agreements with countries from Southern Europe," reads a statement published on Zelensky's official website.

The Ukrainian president said in his evening video address last night that thousands of people are engaged in efforts to stabilize and restore the country's energy system after the recent damage.

Yesterday, authorities in several Russian regions also reported power and heating outages after Ukrainian attacks.

An air alert is in effect in Ukraine tonight.

A number of Russian regions are under declared danger from drones, TASS reported. Several airports in the country - in Volgograd, Saratov, Tambov, Samara and Penza - have been temporarily closed.

US President Donald Trump has appointed a special envoy for Belarus. The role has been entrusted to John Cole, who helped negotiate the release of political prisoners from Belarusian prisons, Reuters reported, quoted by the Bulgarian National Radio.

Trump said he wanted Minsk to release more political prisoners. He had already sent delegations to the Belarusian capital several times earlier this year, as a result of which President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Vladimir Putin, ordered the release of 52 detainees in September.

It is believed that there are 1,400 political prisoners in Belarus, whom Trump even calls "hostages". According to the American president, John Cole managed to negotiate the release of 100 of them and will achieve the same for another 50 people.