Good morning. It's Tuesday. Thomas Morgan and Nelli Saarinen here with your AM NewsMail.

On a good day, the sun is shining and the wind is blowing. But a lot of Australia's renewable energy generation is being subject to "economic curtailment". This morning, we take a look at why.

But first, a Kremlin propagandist hiding from authorities in the Russian consulate in Sydney launches an extraordinary attack on his hosts. Plus, US politicians set to vote on releasing the Epstein files, and we take a look at the Sydney to Hobart yacht race's dark past.

'Aussie Cossack': A pro-Putin propagandist claims the Russian consulate in Sydney is trying to force him out. But Simeon Boikov is standing firm, vowing to remain despite "prison-like conditions" as he hides there to avoid arrest for allegedly assaulting a pro-Ukraine protester.

ABC Investigations reporter Sean Nicholls has been following Boikov's story for months. In May, he reported that the pro-Kremlin figure's legal fees had been bankrolled by a fund linked to Russian intelligence. That fund was later hit with sanctions. Despite the seeming change of tune by Russia, Boikov tells the ABC he won't go willingly into Australian custody: "Call the funeral company to bring the hearse. I'm not going to leave alive."

Meanwhile in Ukraine: Russia has entered Pokrovsk in Ukraine's east on motorcycles and in ramshackle cars with troops perched on top, desperate to take the strategic city as winter approaches. The "Mad Max-style convoy" was captured in the latest footage from the city.

• Free electricity: Plentiful amounts of renewable energy are being pumped into the grid on sunny and windy days, so much in fact that we can't use it all. So what can be done to make better use of all this electricity? Free daytime electricity is just one of the tools at our disposal.
• Analysis with Ian Verrender: Australia appears set for yet another battle over climate policy and power generation. But a review of our history shows it isn't climate targets that are driving up power prices , but that investors have been left in limbo. That means a lot of the heavy lifting on the green transition has been left to the last minute.
• Rio Tinto: Our Europe bureau has filed the latest on the mining giant's manoeuvres there, which is to mothball a $3.6 billion lithium project in Serbia. The ABC has obtained an internal memo from the multinational company listing out a number of reasons for why the "white gold mine" won't proceed.
• Consumer safety: CHOICE is warning parents to be wary of the dangers of button batteries after most toys purchased online for an investigation failed mandatory national safety standards. Such batteries can cause severe internal burns and even death if ingested.

• Epstein vote: From describing them as a "Democrat hoax" to urging his fellow Republicans to vote to release them, Donald Trump has been on a journey with the so-called Epstein files. With US Congress poised to vote on whether to release them, we take a closer look at how this mammoth saga has unfolded.
• Victorian politics: Just 11 months into the job, state Liberal leader Brad Battin is set to be challenged by first-term MP Jess Wilson. The 35-year-old has had a meteoric rise within the party.
• AFL draft: All will be revealed over two nights from tomorrow, and we'll be covering all the action. But ahead of this week's AFL draft, ABC Sport's Chris De Silva looks back on 2020's infamous COVID draft that heralded in "a year of turmoil".
• The Ashes: Hard to believe it's already that time of year again. Not only is it cricketing season, but this summer Australia is battling its arch nemesis England for control of that tiny little urn. So how much do you know about cricket's greatest rivalry? Test yourself with our quiz.

- That's Paul Lumtin, a sailor on the yacht Winston Churchill that sunk in the 1998 Sydney to Hobart race. A crew of nine set out amid warnings of dangerous weather, but only six survived.

Speaking to ABC iview's I Was Actually There, Paul and others tell the story of the harrowing hours spent at sea in what became the race's deadliest event.

When a tragic accident saw Ava Costa injure her spine, the former gymnast spent 168 days in hospital. She could have returned home sooner, but specialised equipment she needed wasn't available.

And once she was discharged and began her recovery journey, many of those costly items were quickly rendered redundant by her dedication to her rehabilitation regime. That was when Ava and her mum had an idea that they hope will help others return home sooner and recover faster.

And that's it for today! Thanks for reading. We'll be back at the same time tomorrow with more.

Thomas, Nelli and the ABC News Digital team.

The pro-Putin propagandist hiding from authorities in the Russian consulate in Sydney, Simeon Boikov, has launched an extraordinary attack on his hosts, claiming they are subjecting him to "prison-like conditions" in a bid to "push me out".