Stoyan Vassev | Press Service of Gazprom Neft | via Reuters The Kremlin is rejecting responsibility for the disruption of gas supplies to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, pointing instead to sanctions imposed by the West that it says have made it impossible to obtain the components needed to maintain operation of the pipeline infrastructure. Western sanctions were “wreaking havoc” on needed maintenance work on the pipeline, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call with media, contradicting accusations by European leaders that it was tying up gas supplies. Russian state gas company Gazprom, which supplies natural gas to connect the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Russia and Germany, completely cut off supplies to Europe after it detected what it said was an oil leak. — Natasha Toorak
Euro falls below 99 cents as Russia cuts main gas pipeline to Europe
On Friday, Russian energy supplier Gazprom said it would not continue supplying natural gas to Germany through the main Nord Stream 1 pipeline, blaming a turbine malfunction. Hannibal Hanschke | Reuters The euro has fallen below 99 cents for the first time in 20 years after Russia said it would indefinitely shut down Europe’s main natural gas pipeline. The euro was trading just below the 0.99 level as European markets opened on Monday, trading at 0.9893 against the dollar shortly after 8:00am. London time (3:00 a.m. ET). Earlier in the morning, it hit a low of around $0.9881. On Friday, Russian energy supplier Gazprom said it would not continue supplying natural gas to Germany through the main Nord Stream 1 pipeline, blaming a turbine malfunction. The announcement came hours after the Group of Seven economies agreed on a plan to impose a price ceiling on Russian oil. Read the full story here. —Jenny Reed
Russian forces likely missed enough deadlines to take all of Donbas, UK says
Russian forces likely missed several deadlines to seize more of Ukraine’s Donbas, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said in its latest intelligence update posted on Twitter. Taking over this entire eastern region is the Kremlin’s primary goal and is the area where its forces have had the most success, although they are making slow gains, the ministry wrote. The Russian army’s “main axes of advance in Donbas remain in Avdiivka near the city of Donetsk and, 60 kilometers north, around Bakhmut,” the tweet said. “Although Russia has had the most success in this area, its forces are still advancing only about 1 kilometer per week towards Bahamut.” “The political objective of the Donbass operation almost certainly remains to secure the entire Donetsk Oblast, which will allow the Kremlin to announce the ‘liberation’ of Donbass. Russian forces have very likely repeatedly missed deadlines to achieve this goal,” he added. . Ukrainian officials say Russian troops now have until September 15 to achieve this, according to the ministry, which considers it “highly unlikely”. This would “further complicate Russia’s plans to hold referendums on the accession of the occupied territories to the Russian Federation,” the ministry said. — Natasha Toorak
Gas prices in Europe soar as Russia cuts gas flows
European gas prices jumped about 30% on Monday after Russia said it would indefinitely cut gas flows to the continent through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, renewing fears of widespread gas shortages and curbs natural gas. The first-month gas price at the Dutch TTF hub, a European benchmark for gas trading, was last seen at €281 per megawatt hour.
Zelensky says the counteroffensive is making progress
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Independence Square on August 24, 2022, the country’s Independence Day. “I believe that the Ukrainian flag and free life will return again to Crimea. We will liberate all our land, all our people,” Zelensky said in his nightly video speech on Sunday. Presidential Press Service of Ukraine | Reuters Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the country’s push to liberate Russian-held territory in the country’s south was making progress, a week after it began. “I believe that the Ukrainian flag and free life will return again to Crimea. We will liberate all our land, all our people,” Zelensky said in his nightly video speech on Sunday. “The Armed Forces of Ukraine, our intelligence and special forces are taking the necessary measures for this. You can hear these steps. And everyone can see: the invaders have already started to leave Crimea,” he added. Zelensky’s comments came nearly a week after Kyiv launched a counteroffensive to retake Kherson, one of the first cities to fall to Russian forces at the start of the invasion, and its surrounding settlements, in addition to launching a series of offensives in Crimea , which was annexed by Russia in 2014. He praised several Ukrainian forces for liberating a town in the Donetsk region of Donbas in eastern Ukraine and said two settlements in the south of the country were also liberated. — Holly Elliott
