Closing summary
It’s 9pm in Kyiv. That’s it from me, Léonie Chao-Fong, and the Russia-Ukraine war blog today. I’ll be back tomorrow.
Here’s a quick recap of where we stand:
The Ukrainian military repelled several Russian offensives in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, the army’s general staff has said. In a situational update on Tuesday evening, the Ukrainian military also claimed the destruction of Russian targets in the Donetsk region. An adviser to the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff said he expected Kyiv to announce “great news” about its counteroffensive in the eastern Kharkiv region on Tuesday evening.
The US defence department is seeing Ukrainian offensive forces in the Kherson region “continue to make some forward movement,” including retaking villages, according to a Pentagon official. The US has also seen “some offensive Russian activity … near Bakhmut”, Pentagon press secretary Air Force Brig Gen Pat Ryder said.
Serhiy Haidai, the governor of Luhansk oblast, has said Ukrainian troops have “gained a foothold” in the eastern region. In an update posted on Telegram, Haidai said Ukrainian forces have “advanced a little” in the Luhansk region and have repulsed Russian attacks. It has not been possible to independently verify his claims.
Ukraine’s forces are conducting counteroffensive actions in the east and south-east of the country, a senior Ukrainian presidential adviser has said. Writing on Telegram, Oleksiy Arestovych said Kyiv’s troops had “liberated several settlements on the western bank of the Dnieper” and that Russian forces on the right bank of the Dnieper would be in an “extremely difficult” position within a month.
The Russian defence ministry is in the process of buying millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea to support its invasion of Ukraine, according to a newly downgraded US intelligence finding. A US official said the fact Russia was turning to North Korea demonstrated that “the Russian military continues to suffer from severe supply shortages in Ukraine, due in part to export controls and sanctions”.
A powerful explosion in the occupied city of Enerhodar, which houses the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, has cut off water and electricity supplies, according to the local mayor. Russia’s defence ministry claimed earlier on Tuesday that Ukraine had fired 20 artillery shells on the town of Enerhodar and the area around the facility over a 24-hour period.
The UN’s nuclear watchdog has called for the creation of a security zone around the Zaporizhzhia plant on the frontline of Russia’s war in Ukraine. In a long-awaited report that detailed extensive damage there, the IAEA said it was “gravely concerned” about the “unprecedented” situation at the plant and urged interim measures to prevent a nuclear disaster.
Russia’s biggest natural gas pipeline to Europe will not resume pumping until Siemens Energy repairs faulty equipment, Gazprom has said. Siemens Energy said an engine oil leak at the last remaining turbine in operation at the Portovaya compressor station did not warrant keeping the pipeline closed.
Russia’s foreign ministry has said the US is responsible for Europe’s gas supply crisis by pushing European leaders towards the “suicidal” step of cutting economic and energy cooperation with Moscow. Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the “dominance of Washington prevailed” and that political forces playing the role of “sheep-provocateurs” were brought to power in EU countries.
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The Kremlin said Russia will not resume in full its gas supplies to Europe until the west lifts its sanctions against Moscow, as gas prices surged and the pound and euro slumped. Speaking to journalists on Monday, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesperson, blamed sanctions for Russia’s failure to deliver gas through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. “It is these sanctions imposed by the western states that have brought the situation to what we see now.”
The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has blamed Europe’s energy crisis on sanctions it imposed on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine – a line taken by the Kremlin itself. European nations were “harvesting what they sowed” by imposing economic restrictions on Russia, Erdoğan added.
The Kremlin has said “with much certainty” that Russia-UK relations will not improve under the leadership of Liz Truss. “Judging by statements made by Madame Truss when she was still foreign minister … one can say with much certainty that no changes for the better are expected,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, has criticised Britain’s next prime minister, Liz Truss, for not being able to compromise. The UK will not strengthen its position in the international arena under her leadership, Lavrov said, while also mocking her for saying she did not know if the French president, Emmanuel Macron, was a friend or an enemy.
Jailed Russian opposition politician and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny’s chief of staff has said worsening prison conditions were threatening his health. In a post on his Twitter and Instagram accounts, Navalny wrote last week via his lawyers that he had been sent to a punishment cell for a third time in August in revenge for his political activity.
A Russian court has sentenced the journalist Ivan Safronov to 22 years in prison on trumped-up treason charges. The sentencing of Safronov, a former defence reporter for the Kommersant and Vedomosti dailies, shocked friends and supporters who gathered in court on Monday to protest against his imprisonment. Editors at the Russian newspaper Kommersant published a front-page editorial in support of Safronov on Tuesday.
Also on Monday, a court in Moscow stripped the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta of its print media licence, effectively banning the newspaper from operating inside Russia. Editor-in-chief, Dmitry Muratov, said the ruling was “a political hit job, without the slightest legal basis”. He said the paper would appeal.
The same Russian court then revoked the licence of Novaya Gazeta’s sister magazine, “No” (“But”), on Tuesday. Novaya Gazeta is one of the country’s most important independent publications. Since it was established by Muratov and colleagues in 1993, it has investigated corruption inside and outside Russia, as well as the wars in Chechnya.
Russia is burning excess gas because it has no capacity to store it after cutting deliveries to Europe, the EU’s energy commissioner Kadri Simson said.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to Indonesia, Simson said:
Our satellites are registering the leak of natural gas or them flaring the natural gas and this is very polluting.
They don’t have alternative pipeline connections to other regions in the world, and their own underground gas storage is full.
The US president, Joe Biden, has decided not to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terror, the White House said.
Biden had said previously that Russia should not be designated a state sponsor of terrorism, a label Ukraine has pushed for.
The designation of Russia as state sponsor of terror could delay food exports and jeopardise deals to move goods through the Black Sea, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said.
Ukrainian forces ‘repelled Russian attacks’ in Donetsk region
The Ukrainian military repelled several Russian offensives in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, the army’s general staff has said.
In a situational update, the general staff said:
Units of the Defence Forces of Ukraine hold their positions and prevent the enemy from advancing deeper into the territory of Ukraine.
It added:
Our military successfully repelled enemy attacks in the areas of Dolyna, Soledar, Novobakhmutivka, Kodema, Zaitseve, Avdiivka, Mariinka, and Lyubomirivka settlements of Donetsk region.
The Ukrainian military also claimed the destruction of Russian targets in the Donetsk region.
Ukrainian forces retaking villages near Kherson, says Pentagon
The US defence department is seeing Ukrainian offensive forces in the Kherson region “continue to make some forward movement,” including retaking villages, according to a Pentagon official.
At a briefing with reporters, Pentagon press secretary Air Force Brig Gen Pat Ryder said:
What we’ve seen in the Kherson region first is some continued offensive operations by the Ukrainians. They continue to make some forward movement. We are aware that they have retaken some villages.
The US has also seen “some offensive Russian activity … near Bakhmut”, he added.
A powerful explosion in the occupied city of Enerhodar, which houses the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, has cut off water and electricity supplies, according to the local mayor.
Writing on Telegram, Dmytro Orlov said:
Today at 12:20 residents of Enerhodar reported about a powerful explosion in the city.
After that, the electricity and water supply disappeared simultaneously in Enerhodar.
Earlier today, Russia’s defence ministry claimed Ukraine had fired 20 artillery shells on the town of Enerhodar and the area around the facility over a 24-hour period.
In its daily military briefing, the Kremlin said three shells landed on the territory of the nuclear power station.
It has not been possible to independently verify either side’s claims.
A Russian-appointed official in the occupied city of Berdiansk in southern Ukraine has been seriously injured in a car blast, according to Moscow-installed authorities.
Artem Bardin, who was appointed commandant of the Berdiansk’s occupying administration, was taken to hospital in “serious condition”, the mayor’s office said on Telegram.
Bardin’s car exploded in “the very centre of Berdiansk” near the building of the civil-military administration, it said.
The mayor’s office said:
Today, September 6, in the very centre of Berdiansk, near the building of the Military Civil Administration, the car of the city commandant Artem Bardin was blown up. As a result of the explosion, the city commandant was hospitalised in severe condition. Doctors are providing him with necessary medical care.
Although it was not immediately clear what caused the explosion, pro-Russian authorities have blamed Ukraine.
The pro-Russian mayor’s office said:
The terrorists of the Kyiv regime continue to try to intimidate residents of the liberated territories.
Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the attack.
IAEA calls for ‘security zone’ at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
Here’s more on the report by the International Atomic Energy Agency after the UN nuclear watchdog sent a team to the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant last week.
The IAEA called for the establishment of a “safety and security protection zone” around the nuclear power plant, calling the current situation “untenable”.
The report states:
There is an urgent need for interim measures to prevent a nuclear accident arising from physical damage caused by military means. This can be achieved by the immediate establishment of a nuclear safety and security protection zone.
The UN agency urged that shelling on site and its vicinity “should be stopped immediately to avoid any further damages to the plant and associated facilities”.
In addition to establishing a security zone around the plant, the IAEA recommended that the conditions Ukrainian staff operating the plant are working in should be improved.
The report says:
Ukrainian staff operating the plant under Russian military occupation are under constant high stress and pressure, especially with the limited staff available. This is not sustainable and could lead to increased human error with implications for nuclear safety.
An adviser to the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff has said he expects Kyiv to announce “great news” about its counteroffensive in the eastern Kharkiv region on Tuesday evening.
Serhiy Leshchenko wrote on Twitter:
Tonight there is going to be a great news from President Zelenskyy on counteroffensive operation in Kharkiv region.
He did not give any further details.
Tonight there is going to be a great news from President Zelenskyy on counteroffensive operation in Kharkiv region.
— Serhiy Leshchenko (@Leshchenkos) September 6, 2022
Summary of the day so far
It’s just past 6pm in Kyiv. Here’s where we stand:
Serhiy Haidai, the governor of Luhansk oblast, has said Ukrainian troops have “gained a foothold” in the eastern region. In an update posted on Telegram, Haidai said Ukrainian forces have “advanced a little” in the Luhansk region and have repulsed Russian attacks. It has not been possible to independently verify his claims.
Ukraine’s forces are conducting counteroffensive actions in the east and south-east of the country, a senior Ukrainian presidential adviser has said. Writing on Telegram, Oleksiy Arestovych said Kyiv’s troops had “liberated several settlements on the western bank of the Dnieper” and that Russian forces on the right bank of the Dnieper would be in an “extremely difficult” position within a month.
The Russian defence ministry is in the process of buying millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea to support its invasion of Ukraine, according to a newly downgraded US intelligence finding. A US official said the fact Russia was turning to North Korea demonstrated that “the Russian military continues to suffer from severe supply shortages in Ukraine, due in part to export controls and sanctions”.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has warned there is an “urgent need for interim measures to prevent a nuclear accident” at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in south-east Ukraine. In its report, the UN nuclear watchdog said it was “gravely concerned” about the situation at the facility and that ongoing shelling near the plant “represented a constant threat to nuclear safety and security”.
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The backup power line at the Zaporizhzhia power plant was disconnected to extinguish a fire, officials said on Monday. However, the IAEA said the line itself was not damaged and that the backup line “will be reconnected once the fire has been extinguished”.
Russia’s biggest natural gas pipeline to Europe will not resume pumping until Siemens Energy repairs faulty equipment, Gazprom has said. Siemens Energy said an engine oil leak at the last remaining turbine in operation at the Portovaya compressor station did not warrant keeping the pipeline closed.
Russia’s foreign ministry has said the US is responsible for Europe’s gas supply crisis by pushing European leaders towards the “suicidal” step of cutting economic and energy cooperation with Moscow. Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the “dominance of Washington prevailed” and that political forces playing the role of “sheep-provocateurs” were brought to power in EU countries.
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The Kremlin said Russia will not resume in full its gas supplies to Europe until the west lifts its sanctions against Moscow, as gas prices surged and the pound and euro slumped. Speaking to journalists on Monday, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesperson, blamed sanctions for Russia’s failure to deliver gas through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. “It is these sanctions imposed by the western states that have brought the situation to what we see now.”
The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has blamed Europe’s energy crisis on sanctions it imposed on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine – a line taken by the Kremlin itself. European nations were “harvesting what they sowed” by imposing economic restrictions on Russia, Erdoğan added.
The Kremlin has said “with much certainty” that Russia-UK relations will not improve under the leadership of Liz Truss. “Judging by statements made by Madame Truss when she was still foreign minister … one can say with much certainty that no changes for the better are expected,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
Jailed Russian opposition politician and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny’s chief of staff has said worsening prison conditions were threatening his health. In a post on his Twitter and Instagram accounts, Navalny wrote last week via his lawyers that he had been sent to a punishment cell for a third time in August in revenge for his political activity.
A Russian court has sentenced the journalist Ivan Safronov to 22 years in prison on trumped-up treason charges. The sentencing of Safronov, a former defence reporter for the Kommersant and Vedomosti dailies, shocked friends and supporters who gathered in court on Monday to protest against his imprisonment. Editors at the Russian newspaper Kommersant published a front-page editorial in support of Safronov on Tuesday.
Also on Monday, a court in Moscow stripped the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta of its print media licence, effectively banning the newspaper from operating inside Russia. Editor-in-chief, Dmitry Muratov, said the ruling was “a political hit job, without the slightest legal basis”. He said the paper would appeal.
The same Russian court then revoked the licence of Novaya Gazeta’s sister magazine, “No” (“But”), on Tuesday. Novaya Gazeta is one of the country’s most important independent publications. Since it was established by Muratov and colleagues in 1993, it has investigated corruption inside and outside Russia, as well as the wars in Chechnya.
Hello everyone, it’s Léonie Chao-Fong still with you today with all the latest news from Ukraine. Feel free to get in touch on Twitter or via email.
IAEA: Ongoing shelling near Zaporizhzhia plant represents 'constant threat to nuclear safety'
The team of UN nuclear experts “closely” witnessed shelling in the vicinity of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant during their visit to the facility, the IAEA report says.
They also first-hand observations of damage to the road surface, walls and windows of various buildings, as well as at the overpass connecting the reactor units at the plant.
The report continues:
The shelling could have impacted safety related structures, systems and components, and could have caused safety significant impacts, loss of lives and personnel injuries.
IAEA chief, Rafael Grossi, stated that “while past events had not yet triggered a nuclear emergency, they represented a constant threat to nuclear safety and security because critical safety functions could be impacted”, it says.
🚨 New IAEA report on the nuclear safety, security and safeguards situation in #Ukraine.
— IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency (@iaeaorg) September 6, 2022
Includes findings from our ongoing Support and Assistance Mission to #Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant.
📑 https://t.co/Qy45ajMcxE pic.twitter.com/BnrxBscYSS
Updated
IAEA: ‘Urgent need’ for action to prevent accident at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
The International Atomic Energy Agency has published its report about the nuclear safety and security situation at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in south-east Ukraine.
The UN nuclear watchdog warns that there is “urgent need for interim measures to prevent a nuclear accident” at the nuclear plant, adding that it was “gravely concerned” concerned about the situation at the facility.
The situation in Ukraine is “unprecedented”, the report writes.
It is the first time a military conflict has occurred amid the facilities of a large, established nuclear power programme. A nuclear accident can have serious impacts within the country and beyond its borders.
The IAEA added:
Pending the end of the conflict and re-establishment of stable conditions there is an urgent need for interim measures to prevent a nuclear accident arising from physical damage caused by military means.
This can be achieved by the immediate establishment of a nuclear safety and security protection zone.
Updated
Ukraine has urged Hasidic Jewish pilgrims travelling to the war-torn country to skip their annual pilgrimage to the city of Uman this year because of the Russian invasion.
Every year, tens of thousands of pilgrims come to Uman from all around the world to visit the tomb of Rabbi Nachman for Rosh Hashana – the Jewish new year, celebrated this year between 25 and 27 September, Agence France-Presse reports.
Rabbi Nachman from Breslov (1772-1810) was the founder of an ultra-orthodox movement that settled in Uman in the early 1800s.
In a Facebook post, the Ukrainian embassy in Israel said:
“When the echoes of the Russian enemy explosions on Ukraine don’t stop, we must take care of ourselves.
“Please, avoid coming to Uman on Rosh Hashanah and pray that peace will return to Ukraine and the blessed pilgrimage will be renewed.”
Plans have been made for “additional restrictions” in the city already under curfew.
More than 10,000 pilgrims from around the world are expected according to regional governor Igor Taburets, who was cited by Interfax-Ukraine.
Plans have been made for “additional restrictions” in the city already under curfew, including a ban on street vending and public gatherings because of the “high risk of a terrorist attack”, Taburets said.
He added:
We know how sly our enemy is. Any public gathering is potentially vulnerable.”
Updated
Three Royal Navy warships have been shadowing a Russian Navy taskforce in waters close to the UK, PA Media reports.
Type 23 frigates HMS Westminster, HMS Lancaster and HMS Richmond tracked Slava-class cruiser, Marshal Ustinov, the sister ship of the ill-fated Moskva which sunk in the Black Sea in April.
They have also been keeping a watch on Udaloy-class destroyer, Vice-Admiral Kulakov and tanker Vyazma as the three ships headed home from the eastern Mediterranean after supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since February.
At the same time, patrol ship HMS Mersey has also shadowed Russian military research vessel Akademik Ioffe on its journey south through the Dover shipping lanes into the Channel.
A Royal Navy spokesman said:
The frigates and their helicopters used an array of cutting-edge sensors and modern naval technology to keep close watch in the Celtic Sea and through the English Channel.”
HMS Westminster’s commanding officer (CO) Commander Ed Moss-Ward said:
Maritime security in the sea areas around the UK is crucial to our prosperity and resilience.
The Royal Navy routinely responds to escort warships in UK territorial waters and the adjacent sea areas to ensure compliance with maritime law, to deter malign activity and to protect our national interests.
Escorting the Russian task group has demonstrated that the Royal Navy is committed to maintaining maritime security and to co-operating with our Nato allies.”
HMS Lancaster shadowed the Russian ships from the Strait of Gibraltar to the Celtic Sea as part of Nato’s fast response task force in the Atlantic.
HMS Westminster deployed from Portsmouth to intercept the Russian ships in the Celtic Sea where the Marshal Ustinov was refuelled by the tanker Vyazma while HMS Richmond kept watch in the Channel.
Commander Tom Johnson, CO of HMS Lancaster, said:
Working together allows Nato allies to respond to security challenges at pace and collectively deter potential aggressors.
Exchange of personnel further deepens Nato cohesion and interoperability so that the alliance can swiftly and efficiently react to any threat.
Lancaster’s team work exceptionally hard to ensure we are always ready to respond to any threat at a moment’s notice.”
Updated
My colleague Isobel Koshiw writes:
A chimpanzee that escaped Kharkiv city zoo on Monday was persuaded to return by a zoo employee who wheeled it back on a bicycle.
Staff at the zoo in Ukraine’s second-biggest city were struggling to persuade Chichi, who had wandered around streets and a nearby park, to return to the zoo with them.
But when it started to rain she ran to a keeper, who put a yellow jacket on her. The pair embraced before Chichi was put on the seat of a bike.
Footage of the incident brought a rare moment of joy to a frontline city under daily bombardment by Russian forces.
The zoo’s director, Oleksiy Hryhoriev, confirmed to Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne that the animal was safely back in the zoo.Earlier in the war, Chichi had been evacuated from the Feldman Ecopark, an outdoor zoo on frontlines in the Kharkiv region.
Read the full story here.
Updated
Editors at the Russian newspaper Kommersant have published a front-page editorial in support of the journalist Ivan Safronov, who was yesterday sentenced to 22 years in prison on treason charges.
The open letter to Safronov, a former military correspondent for Kommersant, pays tribute to how he became “the best in his field” and states that colleagues at the newspaper were “lucky to work with you”.
The letter writes that the authors “haven’t heard any public evidence of your guilt”, adding:
You didn’t give up – and don’t give up now. […] We love you, we believe in you. We are waiting for you.
A major Russian newspaper publishes a frontpage editorial, a strong letter of support to its former reporter Ivan Safronov who was sentenced to 22 years on trumped-up charges yesterday. Putin and his thugs took over the country, but people try to resist wherever they can. pic.twitter.com/t095rO392C
— Konstantin Sonin (@k_sonin) September 6, 2022
Safronov’s sentencing on Monday shocked friends and supporters who gathered in the Russian court to protest against his imprisonment.
He was tried on secret evidence, but case files revealed by Proekt showed that much of the case against him came from public data in his articles and alleged ties to foreigners that were not backed up by evidence.
Updated
The actors Ben Stiller and Sean Penn have been banned from entering Russia following their outspoken support of Ukraine during the invasion.
Russia’s minister of foreign affairs released a list on Monday of 25 new names that will be excluded from the country in response to “the ever-expanding personal sanctions by the … Biden administration against Russian citizens”. Stiller and Penn are both included, along with political figures such as senators Mark Kelly, Rick Scott and Kyrsten Sinema.
Stiller, an ambassador for UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, visited Ukraine in June, and posted a video on Instagram in solidarity with refugees of the conflict, saying: “Nobody chooses to flee their homes. Seeking safety is a right and it needs to be upheld for every person.” Stiller also met the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, telling him: “You’re my hero.”
Penn has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine and Zelenskiy, having been in the country making a documentary as the Russian invasion got under way in February. Penn later made a series of TV appearances in April to call for US solidarity with Ukraine and asked for US fighter jets to be supplied to the country. He also said he had considered joining the fight against Russia.
They join a longer list of more than 1,000 names of US citizens who have been sanctioned by Russia; these mostly comprise political and military figures (including President Biden and Hillary Clinton, but not Donald Trump), but also a handful of Hollywood names, including executives Jeffrey Katzenberg and Peter Cramer, film director Rob Reiner, and actor Morgan Freeman.
Updated
Ukrainian troops ‘advanced and gained foothold’ in Luhansk, says governor
Serhiy Haidai, the governor of Luhansk oblast, has said Ukrainian troops have “gained a foothold” in the eastern region.
In an update posted on Telegram, Haidai said Ukrainian forces have “advanced a little” in the Luhansk region and have repulsed Russian attacks.
Haidai wrote:
Luhansk Region continues to defend itself. Enemy attacks have been repulsed, there are certain positive results: our defenders have advanced a little and gained a foothold. We are waiting for the de-occupation.
It has not been possible to independently verify his claims.
More from Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, who accused the west of not honouring its promise to help Russian food exports reach global markets, according to Russian state media.
Russian state-owned news agency Ria Novosti cited Lavrov as claiming that western countries had not relaxed sanctions that would allow it easier access to ship its agricultural products abroad.
Russia had seen the commitment as a key part of an UN-brokered grain deal that helped end a blockade on Ukrainian grain exports from its southern ports.
Updated
US to blame for Europe’s gas supply crisis, says Russia
Russia’s foreign ministry has said the US is responsible for Europe’s gas supply crisis by pushing European leaders towards the “suicidal” step of cutting economic and energy cooperation with Moscow.
Asked what needed to happen for the key Nord Stream 1 pipeline to begin pumping again, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told Reuters:
Listen, you are asking me questions that even children know the answer to: those who started this need to finish this.
She said the US had long sought to break the energy ties between Russia and major European powers such as Germany. Political forces playing the role of “sheep-provocateurs” were brought to power in EU countries, she added.
The “dominance of Washington prevailed”, Zakharova said. She added:
It is absolute suicide but it seems they will have to go through this.
A court in Moscow has revoked the licence of Novaya Gazeta’s sister magazine, a day after the newspaper was stripped of its print media licence and effectively banned from operating inside Russia.
On Monday, the Basmanny district court revoked Novaya Gazeta of its licence after Russia’s media regulator, Roskomnadzor, accused the publication of failing to provide documents related to a change of ownership in 2006.
Speaking outside court yesterday, the newspaper’s editor-in-chief and Nobel laureate Dmitry Muratov said the ruling was “a political hit job, without the slightest legal basis”. He said the paper would appeal.
The same court today revoked the licence of “No” (“But”), because of its failure to appear from 2009, when it was registered, until 2022.
Novaya Gazeta lawyer Yaroslav Kozheurov said:
Why did Roskomnadzor go to court only after the magazine was printed? It is absolutely clear that the appeal to the court is not due to the fact that the magazine was not published, but due to the fact that the magazine started appearing.
Novaya Gazeta is one of the country’s most important independent publications. Since it was established by Muratov and colleagues in 1993, it has investigated corruption inside and outside Russia, as well as the wars in Chechnya.
In March, Novaya Gazeta said it would cease operations until the end of the war in Ukraine after it received several warnings from the state censor for allegedly violating the country’s “foreign agent” law.
Updated
West reluctant to put Putin on trial, say Ukrainian officials
Ukraine’s major western allies have yet to sign up to establish a tribunal to try Vladimir Putin and his inner circle for the crime of aggression, wanting to leave space for future relations with Russia, according to Ukraine’s top officials.
“It’s big politics. On the one hand, countries publicly condemn the aggression but on the other, they are putting their foot in the closing door on relations with Russia so that it doesn’t close completely,” said Andriy Smyrnov, deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential administration, who is leading the country’s effort to establish the international tribunal.
Smyrnov said:
They are attempting to keep some space for diplomatic manoeuvres. We know that agreements with Russia are not worth the paper they are written on.
His claims come as the US president, Joe Biden, said on Monday that Russia should not be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism, something Ukrainian officials and some US politicians had pushed for. Russia had previously said such a designation would mean Washington had crossed the point of no return.
Ukrainian officials say that since April, they have been trying to convince their western allies to establish an ad hoc tribunal that would hold Russia’s senior leadership responsible for the crime of aggression for invading Ukraine. Aggression is viewed as the supreme crime under international law because without the transgression of borders during an invasion, subsequent war crimes would not have been committed.
Read the full story by my colleagues, Isobel Koshiw and Patrick Wintour.
Updated
Liz Truss 'won't help Britain on international stage', says Russian foreign minister
Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, has criticised Britain’s next prime minister, Liz Truss, for not being able to compromise and said the UK will not strengthen its position in the international arena under her leadership.
Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Lavrov said the incoming prime minister tried to “defend Britain’s interests without taking into account the positions of others in any way and without any attempt to compromise”, he said.
Lavrov added:
I do not think that this will help Britain to maintain or strengthen its position in the international arena, which has clearly been shaken after it left the European Union.
He also mocked the incoming prime minister for saying she did not know if the French president, Emmanuel Macron, was a friend or an enemy.
He said:
For Liz Truss ... it should be more of a priority to deal with her closest neighbours, including finally deciding whether President Macron is her friend or enemy. This question is still hanging in the air.
Lavrov said the UK had tried to “compensate” for Brexit by taking “drastic steps on the world stage” and was acting “aggressively over the situation in Ukraine”.
Updated
Summary of the day so far
Hello everyone. I’m Léonie Chao-Fong, taking over the blog from Jane Clinton to bring you all the latest developments from the Russia-Ukraine war. Feel free to drop me a message if you have anything to flag, you can reach me on Twitter or via email.
Here’s a quick roundup of what’s been happening so far:
Russia’s biggest natural gas pipeline to Europe will not resume pumping until Siemens Energy repairs faulty equipment, Gazprom has said. Siemens Energy said an engine oil leak at the last remaining turbine in operation at the Portovaya compressor station did not warrant keeping the pipeline closed.
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The Kremlin said Russia will not resume in full its gas supplies to Europe until the west lifts its sanctions against Moscow, as gas prices surged and the pound and euro slumped. Speaking to journalists on Monday, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesperson, blamed sanctions for Russia’s failure to deliver gas through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. “It is these sanctions imposed by the western states that have brought the situation to what we see now.”
The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has blamed Europe’s energy crisis on sanctions it imposed on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine – a line taken by the Kremlin itself. European nations were “harvesting what they sowed” by imposing economic restrictions on Russia, Erdoğan added.
The backup power line at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia power plant in Ukraine has been disconnected to extinguish a fire, officials said on Monday. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the line itself was not damaged and that the backup line “will be reconnected once the fire has been extinguished”.
An expert mission from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is set to release their findings from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in a detailed report later on Tuesday. Four of the six UN mission members at the plant have left the site and the remaining two IAEA experts will stay on a permanent basis, the UN nuclear watchdog said.
The Kremlin has said “with much certainty” that Russia-UK relations will not improve under the leadership of Liz Truss. “Judging by statements made by Madame Truss when she was still foreign minister … one can say with much certainty that no changes for the better are expected,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
Ukraine’s forces are conducting counteroffensive actions in the east and south-east of the country, a senior Ukrainian presidential adviser has said. Writing on Telegram, Oleksiy Arestovych said Kyiv’s troops had “liberated several settlements on the western bank of the Dnieper” and that Russian forces on the right bank of the Dnieper would be in an “extremely difficult” position within a month.
The Russian defence ministry is in the process of buying millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea to support its invasion of Ukraine, according to a newly downgraded US intelligence finding. A US official said the fact Russia was turning to North Korea demonstrated that “the Russian military continues to suffer from severe supply shortages in Ukraine, due in part to export controls and sanctions”.
Vladimir Putin attended large-scale military exercises on Tuesday involving China and several other Russia-friendly countries. Participating countries in the military drills included several of Russia’s neighbours, as well as Syria, India and key ally China.
Jailed Russian opposition politician and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny’s chief of staff has said worsening prison conditions were threatening his health. In a post on his Twitter and Instagram accounts, Navalny wrote last week via his lawyers that he had been sent to a punishment cell for a third time in August in revenge for his political activity.
Ukraine’s southern offensive has prompted Kherson occupiers to “pause” a planned referendum on whether to become part of Russia. Russian state news agency Tass reported that the head of Kherson’s Russian-appointed authorities, Kirill Stremousov, said plans for a referendum on joining Russia had been “paused” because of the security situation.
Updated
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said European Union politicians are being “suicidal” over Russian energy supplies, Reuters reports.
Updated
Russian president Vladimir Putin was shown smiling and joking with his defence minister as he inspected a military exercise in Russia’s far east.
The “Vostok” (East) exercises also involve troops from China and India, although it was not clear if units from those countries were taking part in the exercise observed by Putin.
The Zvezda military news service showed a clip of Putin seated next to defence minister Sergei Shoigu, both were wearing military combat jackets and were seen exchanging a joke as they listened to a phone call between Shoigu’s deputy and the head of the general staff, Reuters reports.
The defence ministry says the four-yearly war games that began on 1 September involve only 50,000 troops, a fraction of the 300,000 they said took part in 2018.
Western military analysts say they believe both figures are exaggerated.
The defence ministry released a video of the naval part of the exercise, showing Russia’s Pacific Fleet practising launching Kalibr cruise missiles which it said had successfully struck a target more than 300km (185 miles) away.
On Monday, Russian and Chinese combat ships practised repelling an enemy air attack using air defence artillery systems.
India has sent an army contingent to the drills which it says is taking part in “joint field training exercises, combat discussions and firepower exercises”.
Russia is the biggest supplier of military hardware to India.
Moscow says the war games also involve military contingents and observers from Algeria, Laos, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Syria and six former Soviet republics.
Updated
The Swiss government has agreed to offer financial help to the publicly owned electricity group Axpo, Agence France-Presse reports.
It is the latest European energy company to require state aid after Russia’s war in Ukraine sent gas prices soaring.
Axpo, which requested temporary government help last week, will have access to credit line of 4bn Swiss francs ($4.1bn) to ensure liquidity amid the energy crisis.
The Federal Energy Office said:
The government responded favourably to avoid putting Switzerland’s energy supply in jeopardy.”
It added that Axpo was an electricity firm of “systemic importance” for the country.
Updated
Erdoğan blames Europe energy crisis on sanctions imposed on Russia
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has blamed Europe’s energy crisis on sanctions it imposed on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine – a line taken by the Kremlin itself.
He said European nations were “harvesting what they sowed” by imposing economic restrictions on Russia, Agence France-Presse reports.
Erdoğan added:
Europe’s attitude towards Mr Putin, its sanctions, brought Mr Putin – willingly or not – to the point of saying: ‘If you do this, I will do that.’
He is using all his means and weapons. Natural gas, unfortunately, is one of them.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Monday blamed Russia’s halting of gas deliveries to Germany via the Nord Stream pipeline on “sanctions that were imposed against our country”.
Updated
Jailed Russian opposition politician and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny’s chief of staff said worsening prison conditions were threatening his health.
In a post on his Twitter and Instagram accounts, Navalny wrote last week via his lawyers that he had been sent to a punishment cell for a third time in August in revenge for his political activity. The prison service did not respond to a request for comment.
Navalny’s cell is reported to be two by three metres wide with a table, chair and bed which is folded from 6am to 10pm.
His chief of staff, Leonid Volkov, told Reuters:
Suddenly, three weeks ago, they started to dramatically worsen his conditions, which actually poses an enormous threat to his health, because no normal person could spend a long time in that ‘special’ cell.
And for Alexei, who had just survived the poisoning, it is especially dangerous.”
Volkov, who keeps in touch with the opposition leader through lawyers, said that Navalny is still “mentally and physically very fit”.
He added:
The fact that Putin is losing (the war), and is getting less and less predictable, makes the situation more dangerous.”
Navalny is serving eleven-and-a-half years in prison for parole violations, fraud and contempt of court charges, which he denies.
His Anti-Corruption Foundation is preparing to turn the upcoming local elections in Moscow into an anti-war vote.
1/15 Hi! Don't laugh, but I'm back in the SHU. They let me out Sunday night, and Monday afternoon they locked me up again, making no secret of the fact that I won't be getting out of this hole again. I finally know what I'm in jail for though! In this regard, a little statement.
— Alexey Navalny (@navalny) August 30, 2022
Updated
Gazprom continues to blame Siemens for closure of Nord Stream pipeline despite their claim leak is no reason to stop operating
Russia’s biggest natural gas pipeline to Europe will not resume pumping until Siemens Energy repairs faulty equipment, Gazprom’s deputy chief executive Vitaly Markelov has told Reuters.
Gazprom said on Friday that the Nord Stream 1 pipeline would remain shut as a turbine at a compressor station had an engine oil leak, sending wholesale gas prices soaring.
When asked when Nord Stream 1 would start pumping gas again, Markelov said: “You should ask Siemens. They have to repair equipment first.”
Siemens Energy said an engine oil leak at the last remaining turbine in operation at the Portovaya compressor station did not warrant keeping the pipeline closed.
In a written statement, Siemens Energy said:
We cannot comprehend this new representation based on the information provided to us over the weekend.
Therefore, until further notice, our assessment is that the finding communicated to us does not represent a technical reason for stopping operation. Such leaks do not normally affect the operation of a turbine and can be sealed on site.”
Updated
Finnish state-owned energy company Fortum said it has signed a bridge financing arrangement with Finnish government investment company Solidium for €2.35bn ($2.34bn/£2.02bn) to cover collateral needs in the Nordic power commodity market.
It comes after the Finnish government on Sunday unveiled plans to offer up to €10bn in guarantees to the power industry after Russia’s Gazprom shut the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, worsening Europe’s energy shortage.
Fortum chief executive Markus Rauramo said in a statement:
The ongoing energy crisis in Europe is caused by Russia’s decision to use energy as a weapon and it is now also severely affecting Fortum and other Nordic power producers.”
The Finnish government said:
The arrangement is aimed at strengthening Fortum’s liquidity reserves and thereby securing Finnish energy supply.”
The first instalment of the one-year loan would be €350m and it needs to be withdrawn by 30 September for the arrangement to remain effective, Fortum said.
The effective annual interest cost for the bridge financing, including arrangement and commitment fees, would be 14.2%, it added.
Updated
Russia’s economy is expected to contract by 2.9% this year before returning to growth in 2023-24, according to its economy minister Maxim Reshetnikov, as quoted by the Tass news agency.
In its base case scenario, Russia’s economy ministry said it expected a 0.9% GDP contraction in 2023, up from predictions of a 2.7% decline made just last month, Reuters reports.
Reshetnikov said the economy would return to periods of growth on a quarterly basis from as early as the end of this year.
The economy ministry also forecast 2.6% growth in 2024, down from 3.7% it had predicted in August.
Reshetnikov said the economy was on course to post GDP growth in excess of 3% a year after 2024.
This new forecast is a significant improvement from the predictions made just last month when the economy ministry forecast a 4.2% contraction for 2022 and a 2.7% fall in GDP in 2023.
Reshetnikov said expectations had improved as the Russian economy continued to weather the fallout from western sanctions imposed over its invasion of Ukraine better than expected.
Updated
Here are some of the latest images sent to us over the newswires from Kharkiv.
Russian energy giant Gazprom said it will ship 42.4m cubic metres of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Tuesday, a figure unchanged from Monday, Reuters reports.
Updated
Further reaction from the Kremlin on its expectations of relations with Britain under the soon-to-be new prime minister, Liz Truss.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by the state TASS agency:
Judging by statements made by Madame Truss when she was still foreign minister... one can say with much certainty that no changes for the better are expected.”
In his farewell speech from Downing Street in London this morning, outgoing prime minister Boris Johnson referenced the early delivery of weapons to Ukraine.
PA Media reports that Johnson added that the “early supplies of weapons to the heroic Ukrainian armed forces” may “very well have helped change the course of the biggest European war of 80 years”.
He praised his government for getting “this economy moving again from July last year despite all the opposition”.
Johnson continued:
We have and will continue to have that economic strength to give people the cash they need to get through this energy crisis that has been caused by Putin’s vicious war.
… And if Putin thinks that he can succeed by blackmailing or bullying the British people, then he is utterly deluded.”
Updated
UK’s defence secretary Ben Wallace will be going to Germany this week to discuss longer-term funding for Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence says.
Support for Ukraine 🇺🇦 goes beyond the here and now.
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) September 6, 2022
Defence Secretary @BWallaceMP will head to Germany this week to discuss longer term international funding for Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/toEgCoIeZs
President Vladimir Putin attended large-scale military exercises on Tuesday involving China and several other Russia-friendly countries, Kremlin, spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told local news agencies.
Agence France-Presse reports:
Putin was meeting with defence minister Sergei Shoigu and military chief of staff Valery Gerasimov at the Sergeevski military range and could observe the final phase of the military exercises later, Peskov was quoted as saying.
The military drills, called Vostok-2022, started on 1 September and are due to take place until 7 September across several training grounds in Russia’s far east and in the waters off its eastern coast.
According to Moscow, more than 50,000 soldiers and more than 5,000 units of military equipment, including 140 aircraft and 60 ships, will be involved in the drills.
Participating countries include several of Russia’s neighbours, as well as Syria, India and key ally China.
Similar drills were last held in 2018.
Updated
The latest from the UK’s Ministry of Defence:
Ukraine’s offensive operations in the Kherson region continued over the weekend. On 05 September 2022, the Odesa Journal reported 27 sorties by Russian uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) on the west bank of the Dnipro, compared to an average of 50 a day throughout August.
On 21 August 2022, Ukrainian forces reported shooting down three Russian Orlan-10 tactical UAVs in a single day.
In recent years, Russian doctrine has given an increasingly prominent role for UAVs, particularly to spot targets for its artillery to strike. UAVs can be vulnerable to both kinetic effects – where they are directly shot down – and to electronic jamming.
In the face of combat losses, it is likely that Russia is struggling to maintain stocks of UAVs, exacerbated by component shortages resulting from international sanctions.
The limited availability of reconnaissance UAVs is likely degrading commanders’ tactical situational awareness and increasingly hampering Russian operations.”
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 6 September 2022
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) September 6, 2022
Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/wrTBURFCJR
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/gpVzBLzH7j
Ukraine claims its counteroffensive has spread to east and south-east
A senior Ukrainian presidential adviser has claimed Ukraine’s forces are conducting counteroffensive actions in the east and south-east of the country.
Counteroffensive actions by the Armed Forces of Ukraine are taking place not only in the south of Ukraine, but also in the east and southeast,” Oleksiy Arestovych said on his Telegram channel late on Monday evening.
Since the beginning of the operation to liberate the south of Ukraine, our military has liberated several settlements on the western bank of the Dnieper.
These are subtle movements on the map. But the beginning of counteroffensive actions on different sectors of the front on our part speaks of a change in the situation as a whole.”Arestovych claimed Russian forces on the right bank of the Dnieper are in “operational encirclement”, and predicted that within a month their position will be “extremely difficult”.
Updated
Gazprom has introduced some confusion around the reasons for the closure of the Nord Stream 1 natural gas pipeline.
Yesterday, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesperson, told journalists that sanctions “introduced against our country by western countries including Germany and the UK” were to blame for Russia’s failure to deliver gas through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline.
“Other reasons that would cause problems with the pumping don’t exist,” Peskov was cited by the Interfax news agency as saying.
But Reuters reported on Tuesday that Gazprom’s deputy chief executive officer, Vitaly Markelov, went back to the original reason for the closure – maintenance problems – when he said it would not open until Siemens Energy repaired faulty equipment.
“You should ask Siemens. They have to repair equipment first,” Markelov said on the sidelines of Eastern Economic Forum in Russian Pacific port of Vladivostok, when asked about when the pipeline could start pumping gas again.
Russia buying rockets and shells from North Korea, US says
The Russian defence ministry is in the process of buying millions of rockets and artillery shells from North Korea to support its invasion of Ukraine, according to a newly downgraded US intelligence finding.
A US official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said on Monday that the fact Russia was turning to North Korea demonstrated that “the Russian military continues to suffer from severe supply shortages in Ukraine, due in part to export controls and sanctions”.
US intelligence officials believe that the Russians could look to purchase additional North Korean military equipment in the future. The intelligence finding was first reported by the New York Times.
The finding comes after the Biden administration recently confirmed that the Russian military in August took delivery of Iranian-manufactured drones for use on the battlefield in Ukraine.
Russia should not be branded terrorism sponsor, Biden says
US president Joe Biden has said Russia should not be designated a state sponsor of terrorism, a label Ukraine has pushed for amid Russia’s ongoing invasion while Moscow has warned it would rupture US-Russian ties.
Asked if Russia should be designated a state sponsor of terrorism, Biden told reporters at the White House on Monday: “No.”
Some US lawmakers have also pressed for the designation.
Updated
UN to publish Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant report
An expert mission from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is set to release their findings from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in a detailed report later on Tuesday.
Four of the six UN mission members at the plant have left the site and the remaining two IAEA experts will stay on a permanent basis, the UN nuclear watchdog said.
A statement released on Monday read:
Director General Grossi will on Tuesday issue a report about the nuclear safety, security and safeguards situation in Ukraine – including the findings from the mission to the ZNPP – and later the same day brief the United Nations Security Council about the mission to the plant.”
Zaporizhzhia city administrative head, Oleksandr Starukh, said via his Telegram channel on Monday:
Today, the IAEA mission left the Zaporizhzhya NPP, so we are currently waiting not only for a report on the current situation, but for clear decisions. The nuclear power plant and the area around it must be demilitarised as soon as possible.”
Ukraine’s president President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reiterated that the conclusions of the mission should be presented on Tuesday, adding: “I hope they will be objective.”
Backup power line at Zaporizhzhia power plant disconnected
The backup power line at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia power plant in Ukraine has been disconnected to extinguish a fire, officials said on Monday.
Due to a fire caused by shelling, the [backup] line was disconnected, that is the last line linking the ZNPP/ZTPP hub to the power system of Ukraine,” Ukrainian operator Energoatom said. As a result, the plant’s sixth and last functioning reactor was disconnected from the grid.
However the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the line itself was not damaged. “The ZNPP continues to receive the electricity it needs for safety from its sole operating reactor,” it said.
The back-up line “will be re-connected once the fire has been extinguished”, the UN nuclear watchdog added.
Summary and welcome
Hello and welcome back to the Guardian’s live coverage of the war in Ukraine.
I’m Samantha Lock and I will be bringing you all the latest developments for the next short while. Whether you’ve been following our coverage overnight or you’ve just dropped in, here are the latest lines.
An expert mission from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is set to release their findings from the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in a detailed report later today.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has said Russia should not be designated a state sponsor of terrorism, a label Ukraine has pushed for amid Russia’s ongoing invasion while Moscow has warned it would rupture US-Russian ties.
It is 7.30am in Kyiv. Here is where things stand:
Ukraine’s southern offensive has prompted Kherson separatists to “pause” a planned referendum on whether to become part of Russia. Russian state news agency Tass reported that the head of Kherson’s Russian-appointed authorities, Kirill Stremousov, said plans for a referendum on joining Russia had been “paused” because of the security situation.
Ukraine has repelled Russian offensives in the east as well as hindering Russian positions near Kramatorsk, a key town in eastern Donetsk region, its armed forces claimed. In a situational update, it also claimed that Ukrainian troops had successes in disrupting Russian crossings near Kherson and in using long-range artillery in Kharkiv. In a rare acknowledgment of the Ukrainian counter-offensive, Russia said it pushed back assaults in Kherson.
The backup power line at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia power plant in Ukraine has been disconnected to extinguish a fire, officials said on Monday. “Due to a fire caused by shelling, the [backup] line was disconnected, that is the last line linking the ZNPP/ZTPP hub to the power system of Ukraine.” As a result, the plant’s sixth and last functioning reactor was disconnected from the grid, Ukrainian operator Energoatom said. However the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the line itself was not damaged. “The ZNPP continues to receive the electricity it needs for safety from its sole operating reactor,” it said. The back-up line “will be re-connected once the fire has been extinguished”, the UN nuclear watchdog added.
Four of the six UN mission members at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant have left the site, Energoatom, Ukraine’s state enterprise operating all four nuclear power stations in the country, has said. The remaining two IAEA experts will stay on a permanent basis, it said. The agency is drawing up a report to be released this week.
Liz Truss’s imminent arrival as British prime minister has been greeted with scorn from the Kremlin and praise in Ukraine. “I wouldn’t like to say that things can change for the worse, because it’s hard to imagine anything worse,” Vladimir Putin’s chief spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said when asked if Moscow expected any shift in relations with Britain. “But unfortunately, this cannot be ruled out.” Ukrainian politicians offered an exuberant welcome. “In Liz, we Truss” tweeted Ukrainian deputy Rustem Umerov. “Mrs Truss is a solid supporter of Ukraine. Hope for a fruitful ongoing partnership between the UK and Ukraine.” President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was “looking forward to the start of cooperation” with Truss.
Ukraine has sought political backing in Brussels for the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute Russian military and political leaders for their role in the war. Several Ukrainian leaders attending a conference on war crimes accountability in the European capital on Monday argued for a court dedicated to prosecuting high-level Russian perpetrators, in addition to the International Criminal Court.
Russia will not resume in full its gas supplies to Europe until the west lifts its sanctions against Moscow, the Kremlin said, as gas prices surged on Monday and the pound and euro slumped. Speaking to journalists on Monday, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesperson, blamed sanctions for Russia’s failure to deliver gas through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. “It is these sanctions imposed by the western states that have brought the situation to what we see now.”
A Russian court has sentenced journalist Ivan Safronov to 22 years in prison on trumped-up treason charges, a record sentence that has shocked those who gathered to protest against his imprisonment. Safronov, a former defence reporter for the Kommersant and Vedomosti dailies, was tried on secret evidence.
A court in Moscow also stripped the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta of its print media licence, effectively banning the newspaper from operating inside Russia. Editor-in-chief, Dmitry Muratov, said the ruling was “a political hit job, without the slightest legal basis”. He said the paper would appeal.
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, approved a new foreign policy doctrine based around the concept of a “Russian World”, a notion that conservative ideologues have used to justify intervention abroad in support of Russian-speakers. The 31-page “humanitarian policy”, published on Monday, says Russia should “protect, safeguard and advance the traditions and ideals of the Russian World”.
