As a blow to the countries that have supported Ukraine, Russia has stated that it will begin shutting off European gas supplies on Wednesday. Simultaneously, missile attacks in Ukrainian Black Sea coastal regions have created questions about whether or not Russia will adhere to an agreement allowing Ukraine to export grain.
As a blow to the countries that have supported Ukraine, Russia has announced that it will begin cutting gas supplies to Europe beginning on Wednesday. At the same time, missile attacks in Black Sea coastal regions have raised doubts about whether or not Russia will stick to a deal to let Ukraine export grain.
A Russian missile attack was conducted on the Ukrainian port of Odesa over the weekend. A spokesman for the military administration also added that another missile had hit the Odesa region on Tuesday morning. But in spite of this, the United Nations said that the first ships from Ukraine may set sail in the coming days under a deal agreed upon on Friday.
Did Russia disobey the ‘no attacks on merchant ships’ deal?
Officials from Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Nations agreed on Friday that there would be no attacks on merchant ships transiting the Black Sea on their way to Turkey’s Bosphorus Strait and markets. Moscow dismissed concerns that Saturday’s Russian attack on Odesa may jeopardize the deal, stating that it targeted only military installations. The White House stated that the strike put doubt on Russia’s integrity. They added that it was closely monitoring compliance with agreements.
Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian Coastal Area
On Tuesday, the Ukrainian military announced that Russian cruise missiles had been used in the south of the country. The Ukrainian forces had been successful in hitting enemy targets. Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesman for the military administration in Odesa, told a Ukrainian news channel that a missile that was fired in the direction of the Black Sea had struck the area. But the spokesperson did not provide any information on casualties.
Oleksandr Senkevich, the mayor informed the press & public about a coastal attack. The attack caused damage to the port infrastructure at Mykolaiv, which is located to the east of Odesa along the shore of the Black Sea. An after-hours request for comment from Russia’s Ministry of Defense was requested regarding the same. However, this did not prompt an instant response from the ministry.
Russian Gazprom’s oil supply reduction in Germany & pressure boosting of pipelines
On Monday, the Russian energy giant Gazprom (GAZPROM.MM), cited certain instructions from an industry watchdog. It announced that starting Wednesday, gas flows to Germany through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline would be reduced to 33 million cubic meters per day. That is equal to half of the existing flows, which are already only equivalent to forty percent of the capacity of a normal system. Before the conflict, Russia was the source of approximately 40% of Europe’s gas imports and 30% of Europe’s oil imports.
Politicians in Europe had stated on multiple occasions that there is a possibility that Russia would shut off gas supplies this winter. Such a move would throw Germany into recession and punish consumers who are already suffering from rising inflation.
Adding to energy-related concerns, the Ukrainian state pipeline operator firm reported that gas giant Gazprom abruptly boosted pressure in a pipeline that delivers Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine. Such pressure surges could result in emergencies, such as pipeline ruptures. The pipeline operators are required to notify each other of this in advance, according to the Ukrainian firm. But Gazprom could not be reached immediately for comment.
The impact of Russian energy blockage on other nations
The escalating costs of energy and the risk of starvation that millions of people have hit several less developed countries. These are two examples that demonstrate how the greatest conflict in Europe since World War Two, which is now in its sixth month, is having an impact far beyond Ukraine.
The Kremlin claims that the gas shortage is due to maintenance concerns and sanctions imposed by the West. On the other hand, the European Union has accused Russia of trying to indulge in energy blackmail.
The EU members plan for a total cut-off of Russian energy supplies
Member nations of the European Union are making efforts to wean themselves off of Russian energy and preparing for a potential total cut-off. The countries are now planning to vote on Tuesday to accept a less stringent emergency measure to reduce their gas usage.
The White House and several European nations seem to be doubtful regarding Russia’s integrity. The covert attacks on Ukrainian coasts and cutting off of gas supplies have forced the nations to question whether Russia will honor it’s deal with Ukraine.
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