Gazprom announced on Wednesday that it had suspended all its gas deliveries to Bulgaria and Poland, these two member countries of the European Union highly dependent on Russian gas having not made any payment in rubles. The Polish gas company PGNiG has confirmed “the complete cessation of the supply of natural gas supplied by Gazprom” without this “affecting the current supplies” of its customers.
The Bulgarian government claims to have “made all the required payments in due time” and assures that “actions to find alternatives to the supply of gas and to deal with the situation” have been undertaken.
The main information to remember
- Gazprom suspends deliveries to Poland and Bulgaria
- The European Union says it is “prepared” for an interruption of Russian gas
- Moscow claims to have destroyed Western weapons
- Shooting near a Russian ammunition depot in Transnistria
- Fire at a Russian arms depot near Ukraine
Paying in rubles for Russian gas ‘breaches EU sanctions’, warns von der Leyen
European companies agreeing to pay for Russian gas in rubles, as demanded by Moscow, violate EU sanctions and expose themselves to “high” legal risk, Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen warned on Wednesday. “About 97% of contracts (between EU groups and Russian gas suppliers) provide for payments in euros or dollars (…) Companies with such contracts must not give in to Russia’s demand , it would contravene the sanctions” imposed by the Twenty-Seven, she added.
Suspension of Russian gas: the EU “prepared”
The EU had been “prepared” for an interruption of Russian gas and is preparing “a coordinated response”, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday.
“Gazprom’s announcement is another attempt by Russia to gas blackmail us. We are prepared for this scenario. We are developing our coordinated European response. Europeans can be sure that we stand united and in solidarity with the Member States affected,” she said.
Moscow says it destroyed Western weapons
The Russian army said on Wednesday it destroyed a “large amount” of weapons delivered to kyiv by the United States and European countries, during a missile strike in southeastern Ukraine. “Sheds with a large amount of foreign weapons and ammunition, delivered to the Ukrainian forces from the United States and European countries, were destroyed with high-precision Kalibr missiles fired from the sea at the aluminum plant of Zaporozhzhia,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The Russian army also claims to have carried out air strikes against 59 Ukrainian targets, including 50 where troops were located and four ammunition depots.
Several localities taken over by the Russians
The Ukrainian army on Wednesday recognized an advance by Russian forces in the east of the country, with the capture of several localities in the Kharkiv region and in the Donbass.
On April 18, Volodymyr Zelensky announced the start of the Russian offensive against the east of the country, part of which has been in the hands of pro-Russian separatists since 2014 and which is now Moscow’s priority objective.
Transnistria: shots near a Russian ammunition depot
Authorities in the pro-Russian breakaway republic of Transnistria in Moldova said on Wednesday that a village bordering Ukraine hosting a large Russian ammunition depot had come under fire after being overflown by drones. “Last night, several drones were spotted over the village of Kolbasna,” according to the Transnistrian Interior Ministry, adding that on Wednesday morning, “shots were fired in the direction of Kolbasna from Ukraine “without causing casualties.
Moldova fears an overflow of the conflict in Ukraine into its separatist region of Transnistria, supported by Moscow.
Fire at a Russian arms depot near Ukraine
An arms depot located in a Russian village about 20 kilometers from the border with Ukraine was on fire on Wednesday, the local governor announced. According to him, the fire was brought under control, but its origin was not determined. Governors of neighboring Kursk and Voronezh regions, also close to the border, said anti-aircraft defenses were active overnight.
Moscow has repeatedly accused the Ukrainians of carrying out strikes on its soil.
UN National Secretary arrived in Kyiv
The Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, arrived this Wednesday, April 27, 2022 in Ukraine for what constitutes his first visit to the country since the beginning of the Russian invasion on February 24.
Antonio Guterres must go Thursday morning to Borodianka, Irpin and Boutcha, theaters of abuses during the Russian occupation in March. He will then meet Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and President Volodymyr Zelensky.