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Staff and volunteers load a camel into a vehicle to be evacuated from Feldman Ecopark in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on May 4. The zoo has been shelled repeatedly during the Russian invasion. At least five staff or volunteers were killed and nearly 100 animals at the zoo died as of April. Carol Guzy for NPR hide caption

Staff and volunteers load a camel into a vehicle to be evacuated from Feldman Ecopark in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on May 4. The zoo has been shelled repeatedly during the Russian invasion. At least five staff or volunteers were killed and nearly 100 animals at the zoo died as of April.

Editor's note: This story contains graphic images.

DNIPRO, Ukraine When Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February, Petya Petrova didn't hesitate. She and a team of other German animal rights activists rushed to the Polish-Ukrainian border to help with what would become an unprecedented influx of refugees, many of them bringing animals.

"I was the first team member to arrive at the Polish border on Feb. 25 to welcome Ukrainians arriving with their pets," says the 34-year-old.

After a few months, the animal rights group she was with, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, pulled back from the border, calling its employees back to Germany. But Petrova didn't think that was the right thing to do.

"My whole existence was linked to this war and I started feeling very emotional about this conflict," she says.

So she quit her job, moved to Kyiv and started working full time to evacuate animals from areas of Ukraine under attack.

The Russian war in Ukraine has gone on almost seven months. Thousands of people have been killed and millions have been forced to leave their homes. But the war is also taking a huge toll on animals not just domestic pets, but also farm animals and wildlife.

A dead cow at the farm of 58-year-old Oleksandr Novikov, who says he lost 80 cows and 30 pigs during two months of Russian artillery shelling and occupation, in Vilkhivka, Ukraine, on May 14. Carol Guzy for NPR hide caption

A dead cow at the farm of 58-year-old Oleksandr Novikov, who says he lost 80 cows and 30 pigs during two months of Russian artillery shelling and occupation, in Vilkhivka, Ukraine, on May 14.

Petrova is just one among thousands of individuals, nonprofit organizations and even soldiers trying to help animals caught up in this conflict.

"The war is affecting animals just as it is affecting humans," Petrova tells NPR. "[Animals] are tired, they are stressed, and the prolonged distress is causing sickness and disease," she says. "Stray animals in the streets are unprotected from airstrikes and many shelters have been destroyed."

NPR caught up with Petrova just as she rescued three dogs and a 4-week-old kitten. They'd wandered into a Ukrainian military camp near the eastern city of Kramatorsk and soldiers brought the animals to her in vegetable boxes. Petrova took them to two shelters still operating in the city of Dnipro, in central Ukraine.

That day she says a missile flew right over her head the first one she's heard. It killed six civilians in Kramatorsk. Petrova pulled off the road and stopped her car.

"It's deep and unmistakable," she says, "and it was at that moment that it all really sunk in what's going on. It was very traumatizing."

Petrova is originally from Bulgaria, which was long dominated by the Soviet Union. That's why she feels a great solidarity with the Ukrainian people fellow members of the former Soviet bloc in their fight against Russia, she says. Helping save animals is her way to do her part in this war.

There are similar stories across Ukraine. Irina Ponomarenko is the director of a large animal shelter in Dnipro. She says most of the dogs they house these days are no longer strays but pets people were forced to abandon.

Glasha (left) and one of her puppies at an animal shelter in Dnipro on July 8. Glasha was at the site of an explosion after a rocket attack on Dnipro. She was found injured with a broken paw and numerous scratches. The next day, Glasha's puppies were pulled from under the rubble. They are in shock, and one has a hip fracture. Carol Guzy for NPR hide caption

Glasha (left) and one of her puppies at an animal shelter in Dnipro on July 8. Glasha was at the site of an explosion after a rocket attack on Dnipro. She was found injured with a broken paw and numerous scratches. The next day, Glasha's puppies were pulled from under the rubble. They are in shock, and one has a hip fracture.

"Often people fleeing the war are given just minutes to evacuate and they take the most valuable thing their animals," she says. "When they arrive their houses have often been destroyed, their cars have been shot at. They are confused and crying, their animals are often injured or sick because there are no animal clinics in the east any longer."

Ponomarenko says many people can't take their pets any further, especially the big dogs. But thanks to donations, her shelter is committed to keeping these animals safe until their owners can return for them.

The Feldman Ecopark in Kharkiv has had a heavy toll, with news reports of as many at least five people and nearly 100 animals dying in attacks or as a result of the conflict as of April.

Svitlana Vyshnevetska, 62, the ecopark's deputy director, says when it came under fire, she got down on her knees and told the animals she was sorry.

Svitlana Vyshnevetska, vice director at Feldman Ecopark, embraces a caracal in Kharkiv on May 2. Carol Guzy for NPR hide caption

Svitlana Vyshnevetska, vice director at Feldman Ecopark, embraces a caracal in Kharkiv on May 2.

Left: A monkey rescued from at Feldman Ecopark at a temporary shelter in Kharkiv on April 30. Right: Animal enclosures damaged by Russian shelling at the ecopark on May 4. Carol Guzy for NPR hide caption

Vishnevetska says staff and volunteers made heroic efforts to rescue animals from the zoo during frequent shelling.

Yevhen Zubchyk assists in the rescue of an ostrich at Feldman Ecopark on the outskirts of Kharkiv on May 5. Zubchyk was injured by shrapnel during Russian shelling later that day. Staff and volunteers made frequent trips to evacuate animals from the park as it was shelled by Russian forces. The rescued animals have been moved to other zoos around Ukraine. Carol Guzy for NPR hide caption

Yevhen Zubchyk assists in the rescue of an ostrich at Feldman Ecopark on the outskirts of Kharkiv on May 5. Zubchyk was injured by shrapnel during Russian shelling later that day. Staff and volunteers made frequent trips to evacuate animals from the park as it was shelled by Russian forces. The rescued animals have been moved to other zoos around Ukraine.

Volunteer veterinarian Tymofii Kharchenko assists in the rescue of llamas, in a field where a type of projectile is sticking in the ground, at Feldman Ecopark on May 4. Carol Guzy for NPR hide caption

Volunteer veterinarian Tymofii Kharchenko assists in the rescue of llamas, in a field where a type of projectile is sticking in the ground, at Feldman Ecopark on May 4.

"After every trip to the park, I said I would not go again. But I went anyway. The animals were waiting for us," she says.

"Ten years of work I put into that park. They were all groomed and fed. They were our family. And when you see the broken cages, the destruction the monkeys were hiding in the toilet it's devastating."

Tortoises and swans are loaded into a van for evacuation from Feldman Ecopark on May 2. Carol Guzy for NPR hide caption

Tortoises and swans are loaded into a van for evacuation from Feldman Ecopark on May 2.

Vyshnevetska says they were often forced to work without sedatives for the animals. The orangutans seemed to understand and took her hand. But more than a hundred animals perished, including orangutans, chimpanzees and kangaroos that died of heart failure.

Dead animals on the ground at Feldman Ecopark on May 4. Carol Guzy for NPR hide caption

Rescue efforts to save surviving animals continues, among the bodies of dead animals, at Feldman Ecopark on May 4. Carol Guzy for NPR hide caption

Rescue efforts to save surviving animals continues, among the bodies of dead animals, at Feldman Ecopark on May 4.

At least five employees were killed, including two found shot to death at close range in March. Vyshnevetska witnessed the shooting of a driver who worked at the park. She was also there when 15-year-old Denis Selevin, the son of two Ecopark employees, was fatally wounded.

Russian shelling at Feldman Ecopark on May 5. Zoo volunteer Denis Selevin, 15, was killed as rescuers were working to evacuate animals when the shelling began. Carol Guzy for NPR hide caption

Russian shelling at Feldman Ecopark on May 5. Zoo volunteer Denis Selevin, 15, was killed as rescuers were working to evacuate animals when the shelling began.

From left: Vitalii Ilchenko, Serhii Kolesnikov, Andrii Kharchenko and Oleksandr Kolomiiets rush away from Russian shelling that began while they were trying to rescue an ostrich from Feldman Ecopark on May 4. Carol Guzy for NPR hide caption

From left: Vitalii Ilchenko, Serhii Kolesnikov, Andrii Kharchenko and Oleksandr Kolomiiets rush away from Russian shelling that began while they were trying to rescue an ostrich from Feldman Ecopark on May 4.

They were crouched down hiding after coming under shelling and heard a child cry out.

"We went outside and saw Denis lying near the threshold of the door," she says. "When I saw him, I became hysterical."

Vyshnevetska says because of her training as a veterinarian, she knew his wounds were fatal. It took them a while to get him to the hospital because of the shelling. They injected him with morphine to ease his pain. He died on the way.

Denis Selevin, a 15-year-old volunteer at Feldman Ecopark, is rushed to hospital after being wounded by Russian shelling on May 5. He later died from his wounds at the hospital. Carol Guzy for NPR hide caption

Denis Selevin, a 15-year-old volunteer at Feldman Ecopark, is rushed to hospital after being wounded by Russian shelling on May 5. He later died from his wounds at the hospital.

Svetlana Selevina hits her husband, Vitalii Selevin, as the two react to the news of the death of their son, Denis Selevin, at a hospital in Kharkiv on May 5. Selevina was upset that her husband took Denis to volunteer with the animal rescue that day. Both they and their son were volunteers who frequently helped feed and care for the animals. Carol Guzy for NPR hide caption

Svetlana Selevina hits her husband, Vitalii Selevin, as the two react to the news of the death of their son, Denis Selevin, at a hospital in Kharkiv on May 5. Selevina was upset that her husband took Denis to volunteer with the animal rescue that day. Both they and their son were volunteers who frequently helped feed and care for the animals.

Svetlana Selevina and Vitalii Selevin embrace after hearing the news of the death of their son, Denis Selevin, at a hospital in Kharkiv on May 5. Carol Guzy for NPR hide caption

Svetlana Selevina and Vitalii Selevin embrace after hearing the news of the death of their son, Denis Selevin, at a hospital in Kharkiv on May 5.

Zoo worker Serhii Kolesnikov cries after learning of the death of Denis Selevin, a 15-year-old volunteer at Feldman Ecopark who was killed by Russian shelling as rescuers were evacuating animals from the park, at a hospital in Kharkiv on May 5. Carol Guzy for NPR hide caption

Zoo worker Serhii Kolesnikov cries after learning of the death of Denis Selevin, a 15-year-old volunteer at Feldman Ecopark who was killed by Russian shelling as rescuers were evacuating animals from the park, at a hospital in Kharkiv on May 5.

Two soldiers fighting for Russia were captured and taken to the hospital. One of them was a Kremlin-backed Ukrainian separatist.

Zoo worker Andrii Shalimov is restrained while trying to hit a captured Ukrainian separatist soldier, who was fighting for Russia, at a hospital in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on May 5. Two captured soldiers were brought to the same hospital where zoo volunteer Denis Selevin died, and the zoo workers took out their grief on the captives when they learned of Selevin's death. Carol Guzy for NPR hide caption

Zoo worker Andrii Shalimov is restrained while trying to hit a captured Ukrainian separatist soldier, who was fighting for Russia, at a hospital in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on May 5. Two captured soldiers were brought to the same hospital where zoo volunteer Denis Selevin died, and the zoo workers took out their grief on the captives when they learned of Selevin's death.

The boy's father, Vitalii Selevin, took off the soldier's blindfold to show his son's blood still on his own hands in a painfully poignant confrontation of war and innocence.

Vitalii Selevin shows his hands with his son's blood on them to a captured pro-Russia Ukrainian fighter, at a hospital in Kharkiv on May 5. Selevin's son Denis was killed by shelling. Carol Guzy for NPR hide caption

Vitalii Selevin shows his hands with his son's blood on them to a captured pro-Russia Ukrainian fighter, at a hospital in Kharkiv on May 5. Selevin's son Denis was killed by shelling.

See the original post here:
Photos: The fight to rescue animals in the Russia-Ukraine war : The Picture Show - NPR

Proxy Russian authorities in four occupied areas of Ukraine all announce referendums for joining Russia this weekend

The proxy Russian authorities in four occupied areas of Ukraine Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia have all announced on Tuesday their intentions to hold referendums between 23-27 September on joining the Russian Federation.

The sudden rush to hold a vote comes as Ukraines counteroffensive has reclaimed territory in the east of the country, including a small symbolic toehold in the Luhansk region, which had been totally under the control of Russian proxies.

Doubts have been cast on how effectively the occupying authorities will be able to organise referendums at such short notice, although preparations were previously being carried out.

According to Russian news agency RIA, in a direct appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the self-proclaimed leader of the so-called Donetsk Peoples Republic Denis Pushilin said: I ask you to consider the issue of joining the Donetsk Peoples Republic into the Russian Federation as soon as possible in the event of a positive decision on the results of the referendum, which we have no doubts about.

Some Russian media outlets have reported that Putin may address the Russian nation later today on the topic, although this has not been confirmed by the Kremlin.

The move comes on the same day that Russias parliament, the Duma, voted to toughen punishments for desertion and insubordination in times of military mobilisation.

Updated at 09.57EDT

Key events

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Any referendums on joining Russia in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories would destroy any remaining window for talks between Kyiv and Moscow, Ukrainian publication Liga.net cited the Ukrainian presidents office spokesman as saying on Tuesday.

Without the referendums, there is still the smallest chance for a diplomatic solution. After the referendums - no, Liga.net quoted Serhiy Nykyforov as saying.

He made the comments in response to Russian-installed officials in four occupied Ukrainian regions announcing plans for referendums over the next week on formally joining Russia, Reuters reported.

The inmates of penal colony No 8, in the Tambov region 300 miles south of Moscow, rushed to their cell windows when they heard the sound of a helicopter approaching on a late afternoon in July.

No one ever uses a chopper to get down here. We were curious what the big occasion was, recalled Ivan, one of the inmates.

Half an hour later, he and the others were ordered to report to the prisons main square where two heavily guarded men were waiting.

We couldnt believe our eyes, he would really come all the way to visit us, said Ivan, who is halfway through a 23-year sentence for murder and, like other inmates interviewed, asked to use a pseudonym out of concerns for his safety.

But there he was standing in front of us: Prigozhin, in the flesh, urging us to join the Wagner private military group and fight in Ukraine.

Four Russian-occupied regions in Ukraine have said they are planning to hold referendums on joining the Russian Federation in a series of coordinated announcements that could indicate the Kremlin has made a decision to formally annexe the territories.

Moscow may be betting that a formal annexation would help halt Russian territorial losses, after a successful Ukrainian counteroffensive that has reclaimed large portions of territory in Kharkiv region.

The occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions have said they are ready to hold polls, which will be universally viewed as rigged, as soon as this week, with announcements also made in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Some Russian media have reported that Vladimir Putin may deliver a speech this evening on a potential annexation.

As Ukrainian troops now begin making advances in the Luhansk region, Russia may be worried that it cant win on the battlefield and threaten a potential escalation, including a formal declaration of war or even a nuclear attack, by claiming to defend its own territory.

Everything thats happening today is an absolutely unequivocal ultimatum to Ukraine and the West, wrote Tatiana Stanovaya, an expert on Kremlin politics and founder of R.Politik. Either Ukraine retreats or there will be nuclear war.

To guarantee victory, Putin is ready to hold referendums immediately in order to obtain the right (in his understanding) to use nuclear weapons to defend Russian territory.

With Germanys gas storage facilities now at just over 90% capacity, Robert Habeck, the economy minister has said Germany now stands a good chance of getting through the winter.

Germany is ahead of its goal to have the subterranean stores 95% full by the start of November.

On the sidelines of a visit to Lubmin in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where building work has started on a floating platform for LNG facilities which are due to open in January, Habeck said:

If we succeed in saving gas, and if were lucky with the weather, then we have a good chance of getting through the winter.

What Habeck means, in short, is if the winter is harsh, the storage facilities may not be capable of compensating for the higher usage of gas. Last year, Germany used around 999 terawatt hours (TWh) of gas.

The storage facilities are capable of storing around a quarter to 28% of that amount. Around 220 TWh is currently available. But a very cold January for example, like Germany experienced last year, could consume half of the available reserves.

On Tuesday the embattled Habeck who has come under fierce criticism in recent weeks for his energy policies, voiced doubt that his plans for a gas levy - to be paid by gas consumers to compensate gas suppliers that have had to buy in alternative sources of gas after Russia slowed down then cut off its supplies completely - were constitutionally viable.

His proposal had prompted a huge backlash over concerns that companies that had profited from the energy price surge might benefit from the levy.

The governments plans to nationalise the gas provider Uniper, which were confirmed on Tuesday afternoon, have also further called the sense or fairness of such a levy into doubt.

Updated at 11.14EDT

The Guardians Shaun Walker has tweeted that whether intentional or not, the announcements of referendums in Russian-held parts of the Ukraine will result in escalation of the conflict.

He said:

The proxy Russian authorities in four occupied areas of Ukraine Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia have all announced on Tuesday their intentions to hold referendums between 23-27 September on joining the Russian Federation.

The sudden rush to hold a vote comes as Ukraines counteroffensive has reclaimed territory in the east of the country, including a small symbolic toehold in the Luhansk region, which had been totally under the control of Russian proxies.

Doubts have been cast on how effectively the occupying authorities will be able to organise referendums at such short notice, although preparations were previously being carried out.

According to Russian news agency RIA, in a direct appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the self-proclaimed leader of the so-called Donetsk Peoples Republic Denis Pushilin said: I ask you to consider the issue of joining the Donetsk Peoples Republic into the Russian Federation as soon as possible in the event of a positive decision on the results of the referendum, which we have no doubts about.

Some Russian media outlets have reported that Putin may address the Russian nation later today on the topic, although this has not been confirmed by the Kremlin.

The move comes on the same day that Russias parliament, the Duma, voted to toughen punishments for desertion and insubordination in times of military mobilisation.

Updated at 09.57EDT

The news of a flurry of announcements that the proxy-Russian authorities in occupied areas of Ukraine will all be trying to hold referendums this weekend about joining the Russian Federation does not appear to have gone down well with the Russian stock market.

Reuters reports that stocks plunged to their lowest in a month as moves in Moscow reignited martial law fears with new legislation, and the plans to hold referendums in Ukraine sped forwards apace.

Russias parliament on Tuesday approved a bill to toughen punishments for a host of crimes such as desertion, damage to military property and insubordination if they were committed during military mobilisation or combat situations.

Indices are clearly collapsing amid fears around the risks of mobilisation and martial law, Tinkoff Investments analyst Kirill Komarov told Reuters, adding that Tuesdays collapse would likely be the rouble-based MOEX indexs sharpest drop since June 30.

My colleague Shaun Walker points out that there may be some issues with the planned referendums at the weekend.

The RIA Novosti news agency is now also reporting that the occupied Ukrainian territories of Donetsk and Luhansk will hold referendums on joining the Russian Federation from 23 to 27 September.

Its report quotes the self-proclaimed leader of the Donetsk Peoples Republic Denis Pushilin, and says:

The long-suffering people of Donbas have earned the right to be part of Russia, which they have always considered their homeland, Pushilin said in an address to Vladimir Putin.

I ask you to consider the issue of joining the Donetsk Peoples Republic into the Russian Federation as soon as possible in the event of a positive decision on the results of the referendum, which we have no doubts about, the message says.

According to the DPR authorities, 9,044 residents of the republic, including 120 children, were killed during the hostilities.

The figures given by RIA have not been independently verified. The Donetsk Peoples Republic and the Luhansk Peoples Republic are not recognised as legitimate authorities by any other UN member states apart from Russia, Syria and North Korea.

If you want some background reading on the issue of a possible referendum in the occupied Kherson region of Ukraine, a month ago Shaun Walker and Pjotr Sauer were able to conduct a series of telephone interviews with people there. At the time they wrote:

Residents remain unsure about what the next few months might bring: a swift Ukrainian counteroffensive to regain control, a protracted battle that turns the city to rubble, or Russia carrying out its sham referendum and annexing the territory.

You can read more of their article from August here: A referendum is not right: occupied Kherson looks to uncertain future

Ukraines foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has responded to the hurried calls to hold a series of referendums in occupied territories in eastern and southern Ukraine to join the Russian Federation. He has tweeted:

Sham referendums will not change anything. Neither will any hybrid mobilisation. Russia has been and remains an aggressor illegally occupying parts of Ukrainian land. Ukraine has every right to liberate its territories and will keep liberating them whatever Russia has to say.

Updated at 09.15EDT

Link:
Russia-Ukraine war: Putin-backed separatists in Kherson want vote on joining Russia amid further calls for lightning referendums live - The Guardian

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Sept 20 (Reuters) - Ukraine said its troops have marched farther east into territory recently abandoned by Russia, paving the way for a potential assault on Moscow's occupation forces in the Donbas region as Kyiv seeks more Western arms. read more

* Ukraine's armed forces regain control of the village of Bilohorivka, preparing to retake all of Luhansk province from Russian occupiers, provincial Governor Serhiy Gaidai said. The village is only 10 km (6 miles) west of Lysychansk city, which fell to the Russians after weeks of grinding battles in July.

* Increased Ukrainian long-range strike capability had likely forced Russia's Black Sea fleet to relocate some of its submarines from the port of Sevastopol in Crimea to Novorossiysk in Krasnodor Krai in southern Russia, the British military said on Tuesday. read more

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* Russian forces struck the Pivdennoukrainsk nuclear power plant in Ukraine's southern Mykolaiv region but its reactors have not been damaged and are working normally, Ukraine's state nuclear company Energoatom said. read more * Reuters could not verify battlefield reports.

* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said investigators had discovered new evidence of torture used against some soldiers buried near Izium, in the northeastern Kharkiv region.

* The Kremlin rejected allegations that Russian forces had committed war crimes in Ukraine's Kharkiv region as a "lie". read more Moscow regularly denies committing atrocities in the war or deliberately attacking civilians.

* U.S. President Biden urged Russian President Vladimir Putin not to use tactical nuclear or chemical weapons in the wake of Russian military setbacks in Ukraine. read more

* British Prime Minister Liz Truss said the United Kingdom next year will meet or exceed the 2.3 billion pound ($2.63 billion) military aid spent on Ukraine in 2022. U.K. military support is likely to include equipment such as the Multiple Launch Rocket System, Truss' office said in a statement.

* Germany will supply Ukraine with four more Panzer howitzer 2000 tanks along with an additional ammunition package, the defence ministry said. Ukraine has urged the West to step up military aid to help it turn the tide of battle against Russia.

* Zelenskiy has hinted he would use a video address to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday to call on countries to accelerate weapons and aid deliveries.

* "The occupiers are clearly in a panic," Zelenskiy said in a televised address late on Monday, adding that he was now focused on "speed" in liberated areas.

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Compiled by Stephen Coates, Mark Heinrich, Cynthia Osterman and Michael Perry

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Read more here:
Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know right now - Reuters

On a crisp North Carolina morning, an eastern pine forest is being clear cut in a precisely choreographed hydraulic ballet. Pincers grab 500-pound, 30-foot tree trunks, run them through trimmers and auto-cutters and then stack the nearly uniform logs onto flatbed trucks which take them to mills to be cut into construction boards. Grappling claws scoop up the remains of the harvestbranches, limbs and scrapsand drop them into open-topped dump trucks headed for one of 10 plants run by Enviva, to be chopped, dried, pulverized and pressed into two-inch wood pellets.

Jamel Toppin for Forbes

You could burn those pellets in your backyard grillif you could buy them, which you cant. Were already sold out, boasts John Keppler, Envivas cofounder and CEO. Earlier this year, the Bethesda, Maryland-based company locked in take-or-pay contracts to sell German and other European customers millions of tons of pellets over the next 15 years at upwards of $250 a ton, a record price that now yields gross margins of $43 a ton, up 14% over last year. The pellets fuel plants that might have previously relied on Russian coal or natural gas. In Europe, natural gas prices have jumped ten-fold in two years to the equivalent of $60 per thousand cubic feet (versus $8.25/mcf in America). Theres never been a better time to be in the pellet business, Keppler says.

While Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine has produced a windfall for Enviva, its no overnight success. Keppler, 50, has spent 15 years building it into the worlds largest producer of industrial grade pellets, with $1 billion in annual sales and a current stock market cap of $4.65 billion. The company still runs a net loss after depreciation and interest but expects EBITDA to more than double this year to $250 million. Keppler is aiming to build ten more plants over the next five years, doubling current annual output of 6.2 million tons of pellets. Every ton we produce is a ton of coal that stays in the ground, he says.

Many environmentalists doubt thats a good tradeoff. In fact, burning wood pellets emits more carbon dioxide for the same amount of energy than does coal. The pellets are considered green only because biomass is renewable. The catch? It takes decades for newly planted trees to sequester the carbon dioxide released by burning their predecessors. The best strategy to lower atmospheric CO2 levels is to preserve and expand forests, rather than destroy them and use trees as fuel, says climate change expert Robert Musil, CEO of the Rachel Carson Council.

Theres never been a better time to be in the pellet business.

The European Union Parliament, concerned by the loss of old growth forests amid rampant growth in pellet combustion, voted in September to reduce pellet subsidies and phase down the portion of wood-based fuel counted as renewable. While competing for a bigger piece of a potentially smaller pie in Europe, in America, Enviva is enthused by the new Inflation Reduction Act, which includes tax credits for burning pellets for electricity.

Keppler insists that Enviva never turns whole trees into pelletsexcept those knocked down by hurricanes. Instead, it buys scraps that used to get pulped into newsprint for now dead or shrunken newspapers. Enviva says it only works with landowners who replant treesnot those clearing land for development. If it doesnt go back to forest, we wont buy it, declares Lauren Killian, a 32-year-old sustainability forester at Enviva.

Keppler first became fascinated by renewable resources at 30. His career had been largely on hold for six years as he beat stage 4 Hodgkins lymphoma and he was recharging with an MBA at the University of Virginia. As a class project, he and a couple of B-school pals worked up a business plan for a rice milling plant that wanted to power its operations by burning high-silica husks of rice kernels in a specialized gasifier. After working a few years at other jobs (Keppler at AOL), they decided to give gasifier plants a go. After building plants in the Dominican Republic and Alabama, Keppler and Enviva President Thomas Meth branched into another variety of biomassa project to enable a Belgian lumber mill to power its main operations by pressing sawdust into pellets.

Then came their Eureka moment: instead of doing one-off projects, they could build a whole pellet business based around more than 50 million acres of pine forests stretching from Virginia through the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi.

Jamel Toppin for Forbes

But they needed more capital. In 2010, Keppler and Meth turned to private equity shop Riverstone Holdings, which specializes in energy. With the new money, they bought a small pellet-making plant in Amory, Mississippi, which was already selling its output to Europe. They got it running 24/7, and tripled production. They sold and spun off those early gasification plant assets to focus on pellets. They tapped higher-risk capital (from investors like Jeffrey Ubben of Inclusive Capital) to finance new pellet plants and launched a master limited partnership to buy the plants once they were built.

Enviva became a publicly traded MLP in 2015 and this year converted to a traditional corporation in a bid to market itself as a pure environmental play for ESG investors. Riverstone and its investment funds still own 42% of the stock, which now trades at just under $70 and pays a generous dividend of $3.62 a share.

One lesson Keppler says he learned from Riverstone: dont turn a spade of dirt for a new plant until its output is fully contracted. He sees no problem inking enough orders to sell the output of the ten more mills he wants to build or finding a spot for each plant where theres already enough tree harvesting going on within 75 miles to keep it in wood scraps. Were symbiotic to that (harvesting) activity, were not driving any of it, he says.

Competitors are catching on. Last year, private equity giant Apollo Global invested in Estonian pellet maker Granuul (Europes biggest), which has acquired a handful of plants in the east Texas pine forests. Keppler says that with zero excess liquidity in world pellet supply, he welcomes new competition as affirmation that the business has a future. This is a monopsony, he says. Theres thousands of sellers (of wood scrap), very few buyers. For now.

More:
How Putin's Invasion Of Ukraine Produced A Windfall For Enviva's Wood Pellets Business - Forbes

Ukraine: Russian military command has suspended the sending of new units

The military command of the Russian federation has stopped sending new units into Ukraine following a dramatic Ukrainian counter-offensive that has reshaped the war and left Moscow reeling, the general staff of the armed forces of Ukraine said Monday.

The military command of the Russian federation has suspended the sending of new, already formed units into the territory of Ukraine, officials said on the general staff Facebook page.

The current situation in the theatre of operations and distrust of the higher command forced a large number of volunteers to categorically refuse the prospect of service in combat conditions, the statement continued. The situation is affected by information about the actual number of dead, while losses from private military companies and those mobilised from temporarily occupied territories are not taken into account. The situation worsens due to the general attitude toward their own wounded. In particular, in Russian hospitals, diagnoses and the nature of combat injuries are deliberately simplified and no time is given for rehabilitation in order to quickly return servicemen to the combat zone.

This information could not be corroborated. The Kremlin has yet to respond.

Updated at 13.09EDT

Key events

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Thank you for reading todays Ukraine live blog. We will have more updates tomorrow. It is nearly 1am in Ukraine heres what has happened in the ongoing conflict today.

Since the beginning of September, Ukrainian forces have taken back 2,400 square miles of Russian-held territory, Reuters reports.

Russian troops have left behind stockpiles of ammunition and other supplies following Ukraines days long counteroffensive in Kharkiv Oblast, the Kyiv Independent reports.

The United States assesses that Russia has largely ceded its gains near Kharkiv and many retreating Russian soldiers have exited Ukraine, moving over the border back into Russia, a senior US military official said on Monday, Reuters reports.

The Ukrainian authorities have said they are capturing so many prisoners of war among Russian soldiers retreating from occupation of the north-eastern region that the country is running out of space to put them, the Associated Press reports.

The military command of the Russian federation has stopped sending new units into Ukraine following a dramatic Ukrainian counter-offensive that has reshaped the war and left Moscow reeling, the general staff of the armed forces of Ukraine said Monday.

Municipal deputies from 18 districts of Moscow and St Petersburg have signed a public statement demanding that Vladimir Putin resign. We, the municipal deputies of Russia, believe that the actions of President Vladimir Putin harm the future of Russia and its citizens.

Updated at 18.06EDT

Ukraine is looking for tens of thousands of children in the countrys orphanage system who have been displaced by the months long war happening in the country, according to an in-depth investigation by Reuters.

The United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund (UNICEF) says they have lost track of that at least 26,000 children who, instead of being moved within Ukraines orphanage system, were reunited with their parents and legal guardians once Russia invaded Ukraine in February. The United Nations worry that the lack record-keeping and follow-up by Ukrainian officials can put orphaned children at risk of violence, exploitation and human trafficking.

Ukraines National Social Service (NSS), tasked with overseeing childrens rights, said it had done everything possible to preserve the lives and health of children and prevent them from being left in the epicenter of hostilities. It said that support for families is provided by specialized social services, and that it was working to resolve problems, Reuters reports.

Read the rest of this investigation here.

Since the beginning of September, Ukrainian forces have taken back 2,400 square miles of Russian-held territory, Reuters reports.

Since the beginning of September and up to today, our fighters have liberated more than 6,000 square km (2,400 sq. miles) of the territory of Ukraine in the south and in the east, Zelenskiy said in his nightly video. The advances of our forces continue.

Updated at 16.51EDT

Russian troops have left behind stockpiles of ammunition and other supplies following Ukraines days long counteroffensive in Kharkiv Oblast, the Kyiv Independent reports.

More from the story:

Liberated Kharkiv Oblast residents from Zaliznychne told the Washington Post that Russians dropped their weapons on the ground when they fled, with some jumping onto stolen bicycles, trying to pass for locals.

Vehicular losses were also great. Many pictures of Kharkiv Oblast showed abandoned Russian assets ranging from main battle tanks to engineering vehicles, self-propelled mortars and supply trucks.

Analyst Jakub Janovsky estimated that Russia lost a total of 336 fighting vehicles in the country from Sept. 7-11. A full 102 vehicles were lost on Sept. 11 alone, most of them in Kharkiv Oblast.

Read the rest of Kyiv Independents reporting here.

Updated at 16.43EDT

Its just after 11 PM in Ukraine. I am Aben Clayton and will be taking over the blog for the next hour. The impact of recent counteroffensive operations seems to have swung the pendulum in favor of Ukrainian forces, though it remains unclear how much their gains will impact the ultimate trajectory of the more than six month conflict.

Other notable happenings from the war include:

The United States assesses that Russia has largely ceded its gains near Kharkiv and many retreating Russian soldiers have exited Ukraine, moving over the border back into Russia, a senior US military official said on Monday, Reuters reports.

The Ukrainian authorities have said they are capturing so many prisoners of war among Russian soldiers retreating from occupation of the north-eastern region that the country is running out of space to put them, the Associated Press reports.

The military command of the Russian federation has stopped sending new units into Ukraine following a dramatic Ukrainian counter-offensive that has reshaped the war and left Moscow reeling, the general staff of the armed forces of Ukraine said Monday.

Municipal deputies from 18 districts of Moscow and St Petersburg have signed a public statement demanding that Vladimir Putin resign. We, the municipal deputies of Russia, believe that the actions of President V. V. Putin harm the future of Russia and its citizens.

The United States assesses that Russia has largely ceded its gains near Kharkiv and many retreating Russian soldiers have exited Ukraine, moving over the border back into Russia, a senior US military official said on Monday, Reuters reports.

Overall we assess the Ukrainians are making progress as they fight to liberate and reclaim territory in the south and east.

On the ground in the vicinity of Kharkiv we assess that Russian forces have largely ceded their gains to the Ukrainians and have withdrawn to the north and east. Many of these forces have moved over the border into Russia, the US military official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity, without offering a number.

Well bring more details on this shortly.

Heres another voice.

Updated at 16.02EDT

The Ukrainian authorities have said they are capturing so many prisoners of war among Russian soldiers retreating from occupation of the north-eastern region that the country is running out of space to put them, the Associated Press reports.

As Ukrainian troops retook a wide swath of territory from Russia on Monday, pushing all the way back to the north-eastern border in some places, it was not yet clear if the Ukrainian blitz could signal a turning point in the war.

Momentum has switched back and forth before, but rarely with such a big and sudden swing.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovich did not specify the number of Russian prisoners but said the POWs would be exchanged for Ukrainian service members held by Moscow.

Military intelligence spokesman Andrey Yusov said the captured troops included significant numbers of Russian officers.

Ukraines deputy interior minister accused fleeing Russian forces of burning official documents and concealing bodies in an attempt to cover up rights violations in the areas they controlled until last week.

Here is some footage with subtitles (and a warning of blurred images of bodies) tweeted by the UKs Sky News from its reporter in Zaliznychne, which the channel explains is a rural village that was occupied after the Russian invasion and until three days ago.

Updated at 15.47EDT

Theres more detail from Ukraines advance to the Russian border, as reported by the Associated Press, quoting residents of the Kharkiv region.

The Russians were here in the morning. Then at noon, they suddenly started shouting wildly and began to run away, charging off in tanks and armored vehicles, Dmytro Hrushchenko, a resident of Zaliznychne, a small town near the eastern front line, said.

Oleh Syniehubov, the governor of Kharkiv region, said that in some areas of the front, our defenders reached the state border with the Russian Federation.

And a spokesman for Ukrainian military intelligence said Russian troops were surrendering en masse as they understand the hopelessness of their situation.

Video taken by the Ukrainian military showed soldiers raising the Ukrainian flag over battle-damaged buildings. In one scene, a fighter wiped his boots on a Russian flag on the ground. Other videos showed Ukrainians inspecting the wreckage of Russian military vehicles, including tanks.

Efforts to disarm landmines were under way in the recaptured areas, along with a search for any remaining Russian troops, Ukrainian military officials said.

Updated at 14.56EDT

Heres the Guardians editorial on the counteroffensive in Ukraine: A stunning breakthrough that could be a game-changer for Kyiv.

Read more here:

It is 9pm in Ukraine.

The military command of the Russian federation has stopped sending new units into Ukraine following a dramatic Ukrainian counter-offensive that has reshaped the war and left Moscow reeling, the general staff of the armed forces of Ukraine said Monday. This information could not be corroborated. The Kremlin has yet to respond.

Municipal deputies from 18 districts of Moscow and St Petersburg have signed a public statement demanding that Vladimir Putin resign. We, the municipal deputies of Russia, believe that the actions of President V. V. Putin harm the future of Russia and its citizens. We demand the resignation of Vladimir Putin from the post of President of the Russian Federation! read the statement published by Ksenia Torstrem, the municipal deputy of the Semenovsky district of St Petersburg.

Ukrainian forces have gained significant ground these past few days, particularly in the Kharkiv region. Today, it appears they continued to make great strides, reaching the border at one more location in the Kharkiv region: near the village of Ternova.

Meanwhile, just today, Russia launched five missile strikes, more than 10 airstrikes and more than 20 attacks from rocket systems on military and civilian targets in Ukraine, the general staff of the countrys armed forces said. After knocking out the power and water supply once again to the Kharkiv region with earlier missile strikes, Russian forces continued its offensive on the city, this time directing its shelling toward the residential Nemyshlyansky district.

Authorities found the bodies of four tortured civilians in the recently recaptured Kharkiv town of Zaliznychne, the Ukrainian prosecutor generals office said. The discovery is an echo of the war crimes uncovered after Ukrainian troops retook Bucha and other areas around Kyiv.

Russian soldiers engaged in mass looting as they fled Kharkiv oblast, the defence intelligence unit of Ukraines defence ministry said. Soldiers loaded generators, telephones and computers taken from Ukrainians into their cars. Rare cases of school robberies have been recorded, even horizontal bars and sports equipment were taken out of gyms.

Municipal deputies from 18 districts of Moscow and St Petersburg have signed a public statement demanding that Vladimir Putin resign.

We, the municipal deputies of Russia, believe that the actions of President V. V. Putin harm the future of Russia and its citizens. We demand the resignation of Vladimir Putin from the post of President of the Russian Federation! read the statement published by Ksenia Torstrem, the municipal deputy of the Semenovsky district of St Petersburg.

It is difficult to speak out publicly because of the repression. Therefore, we came up with such a concise text, Torstrem told the The Insider. Deputies are not yet forbidden to have an opinion. And it is also not forbidden to speak for the resignation of the president. He is not a monarch, but a hired worker, receives a salary from our taxes.

Our function is to represent the interests of the people, and we see that the people are not satisfied. And our people are the source of power according to the Constitution. I personally do not understand the motives of Vladimir Putins actions. I think you cant be in power for so long.

The rest is here:
Russia-Ukraine war: medics killed by Russian strike during evacuation of hospital, says Kharkiv governor as it happened - The Guardian