In a new blow to the Kremlin's narrative that Moscow is winning the 4-year-old war in Ukraine, Kyiv's forces have targeted fuel supplies to the Crimean Peninsula. That has triggered the worst fuel crisis on the Black Sea peninsula since it was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014. The persistent attacks reflect Ukraine's growing ability to carry out drone strikes and have caught Russia off guard and struggling for a response. The gas shortages are threatening to cause further disruptions to the tourism-dependent region, just as the summer holiday season is getting underway. Ukraine's successes have highlighted its ability to inflict painful damage on Russia and change the course of the war.
The United Nations reports a global shift toward renewable energy, calling it a "positive tipping point." Tuesday's U.N. reports reveal that 92.5% of new electricity capacity in 2022 came from renewables, with wind and solar leading the way. Renewables like solar and wind are now significantly cheaper than fossil fuels, driving investment to $2 trillion last year. However, officials warn the transition is not happening fast enough, especially in regions like Africa. Despite booming renewables, fossil fuel production continues to rise due to increasing energy demands. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls on tech firms to power data centers completely with renewables by 2030.
In her first days as Mexico's new president, Claudia Sheinbaum made a point of distancing herself from the fossil fuel reliance promoted by her predecessor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and vowed to resume an energy transition that he halted. "We are going to boost renewable energies," she said, promising that 45% of Mexico's electricity will come from renewables by 2030. But experts say the country's first woman president will have to contend with legal constraints that she herself favored during the previous administration, constitutional reforms that strongly favor the Federal Electricity Commission, which runs traditional power plants.
