EU members strike deal to cut Russian gas use
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The EU on Tuesday reached agreement on how to cut member states' consumption of gas by 15 percent and reduce their dependence on Russian supplies. Russian energy giant Gazprom on Monday said gas flows to Germany through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline would fall to 33 million cubic metres (MCM) per day from Wednesday. Read about the day’s events as they unfolded on our liveblog. All times Paris time (GMT+2).
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10:50pm: Russian train reaches Kaliningrad, first since EU decision to allow goods
A train carried cement from Russia to its Kaliningrad exclave Tuesday, the governor said, in the first such trip since the European Union said Lithuania must allow Russian goods across its territory. "It is indeed the first train to have arrived after the EU decision," the TASS news agency cited regional governor Anton Alikhanov as saying. It is "quite an important achievement", he said.
Wedged between Lithuania and fellow EU and NATO member Poland, Russia's heavily militarised exclave of Kaliningrad depends on mainland Russia for a sizeable portion of its supplies. But these must transit through Lithuanian territory.
10:10pm: Ukraine’s Zelensky says Russia using gas in 'price terror' against Europe
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday said Russia was deliberately cutting supplies of natural gas to impose a "price terror" against Europe, and he called for more sanctions on Moscow.
"Using Gazprom, Moscow is doing all it can to make this coming winter as harsh as possible for the European countries. Terror must be answered – impose sanctions," he said in a late-night video address.
9:30pm: Russian economy doing better than expected due to rising energy prices, IMF says
Despite damaging Western leaving the International Space Station "after 2024", amid tensions with the West, in a move analysts warned could lead to a halt to manned flights.
The confirmation of the long-mooted move comes as ties unravel between the Kremlin and the West over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and several rounds of devastating sanctions against Russia, including its space sector.
Space experts said the departure from the International Space Station would seriously affect the country's space sector and deal a major blow to the programme of manned flights, a major source of Russian pride.
"Of course we will fulfil all our obligations to our partners but the decision to leave this station after 2024 has been made," Yury Borisov, the new head of Russian space agency Roscosmos, told President Vladimir Putin, according to a Kremlin account of their meeting.
3:50pm: Hungary rejects 'unenforceable' EU plan to reduce gas consumption
Hungary voted against an EU proposal to reduce Gazprom will slash supplies to Europe from Wednesday.
11:28am: Russian strikes hit multiple locations on Black Sea coast says Ukraine
Ukraine said on Tuesday that Russian forces had launched multiple missile strikes at targets on the Black Sea coast near the southern port city of Odesa and in Mykolaiv.
"A massive missile attack, with the use of aircraft, was launched from the Black Sea on the south of Ukraine," the country's southern military command said on Facebook.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky published a video showing debris scattered around heavily damaged houses in Zatoka, a popular resort village to the west of Odesa.
The military said that "port infrastructure" was targeted in the neighbouring Mykolaiv region, which was also hit by S-300 missile systems deployed in the Russia-controlled Kherson region.
Governor Vitaliy Kim posted a video of the attack on the city of Mykolaiv, showing multiple explosions and clouds of black smoke rising from the ground.
"A critical infrastructure object and a motor vehicle business were damaged," Kim said on Telegram.
10:25am: EU 'will probably end up asking citizens to ration' for winter gas provisions
As European Union countries meet to discuss cuts in Russian gas supply on Tuesday, agreement from member states on a 15 percent drop in consumption is likely says, Angela Diffley, FRANCE 24's international affairs editor
Cutting gas use and conserving provisions now are essential ahead of winter months, when demand for gas will increase. "The EU has been trying to import from other sources [than Russia] but that is reaching a threshold," Diffley said. "Aside from that they will probably end up asking citizens to ration."
Prior to the invasion in Ukraine the EU relied on Russia for 40 percent of its gas imports.
8:12am: EU ministers to discuss gas rationing in wake of Russian gas cuts
In advance of more Russian gas cuts in Europe, EU ministers are set to discuss gas rationing at a meeting on Tuesday.
Russia has said the cuts are down to technical problems in its Nord Stream 1 pipeline and difficulties getting essential parts delivered due to sanctions placed on Russia by the EU.
"The German government has said they don't buy this technical problem idea," said FRANCE 24's Dave Keating, reporting from Brussels, adding that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the cuts as "energy terrorism".
7:02am: Russian strike hits port infrastructure in south, says Mykolaiv mayor
Russian forces have struck port infrastructure in Ukraine's southern Mykolaiv region, Mayor Oleksandr Senkevich said on Tuesday.
"A massive missile strike was launched on the south of Ukraine from the direction of the Black Sea, and with the use of aviation," he told Ukrainian state television, providing no details on the aftermath of the strike.
6:08am: EU countries seek deal on weakened plan to cut winter gas use
European Union countries are set to approve a weakened emergency EU proposal to curb their gas demand on Tuesday, with opt-outs allowing them to follow different national paths to prepare for Russian supply cuts.
Europe faces a further gas squeeze this week, after Russian’s Ukraine.
Russian energy giant Gazprom, citing instructions from an industry watchdog, on Monday said gas flows to Germany through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline would fall to 33 million cubic metres per day from Wednesday.
That is half of the current flows, which are already only 40 percent of normal capacity. Prior to the war, Europe imported about 40 percent of its gas and 30 percent of its oil from Russia.
The Kremlin says the gas disruption is the result of maintenance issues and Western sanctions, while the Germany said it saw no technical reason for the latest reduction.
Adding to concerns on the energy front, the Ukrainian state pipeline operator company said Russian gas giant Gazprom without prior notice has increased pressure sharply in a pipeline that runs through Ukraine to deliver Russian gas to Europe.
Such pressure spikes could lead to emergencies including pipeline ruptures, and pipeline operators are obliged to inform each other about them in advance, the Ukrainian company said. Gazprom could not be immediately reached for comment.
Gazprom had estimated that it supplied 41.7 million cubic metres (mcm) through that pipeline on Monday versus 41.2 mcm a day earlier.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the Kremlin was waging an “open gas war” against Europe.
Politicians in Europe have repeatedly said Russia could cut off gas this winter, a step that would thrust Germany into recession and hurt consumers already hit by soaring inflation.
Moscow says it is not interested in a complete stoppage of gas supplies to Europe.
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters, AP and AFP)