Ukraine war: Putin’s proposed referendums are ‘a farce’, says James Cleverly
Seismologists have recorded powerful underwater explosions in Denmark and Sweden after the discovery of gas leaks in the main Russian gas pipelines to Europe.
The discovery of the blast came after Denmark’s prime minister claimed the leaks could have been caused by sabotage.
“There is no doubt that these were explosions,” Bjorn Lund, a seismologist at the Swedish National Center for Seismology, told SVT.
If the explosions are linked to sabotaged leaks, it could dramatically heighten European concerns about Russian energy supplies to the continent, which many nations continue to depend on despite a struggle to find other sources since Moscow’s invasion in World War II.
Earlier, Sweden’s Maritime Authority said it had issued a warning following the discovery of leaks from the Russian-owned Nord Stream 1 pipeline in Swedish and Danish waters, shortly after another was found in the upcoming Nord Stream project 2.
key points
Show latest update 1664289625
The US is ‘ready to support’ Europe after the Nord Stream gas pipeline leaks
The United States is “ready” to help European allies after the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines that carry Russian gas to Western Europe leak, a senior White House official said on Tuesday.
“I will not speculate on the cause, and I know our European partners are investigating. We stand ready to support their efforts,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Gas bubbles from Nord Stream 2 leak onto the surface of the Baltic Sea
(via REUTERS)
Thomas Kingsley September 27, 2022 3:40 pm
1664288446
Huge explosions detected near Russian gas pipeline after leaks caused by ‘sabotage’
Seismologists have recorded powerful underwater explosions in Denmark and Sweden after the discovery of gas leaks in the main Russian gas pipelines to Europe.
The discovery of the blast came after Denmark’s prime minister claimed the leaks could have been caused by sabotage.
“There is no doubt that these were explosions,” Bjorn Lund, a seismologist at the Swedish National Center for Seismology, told SVT.
If the explosions are linked to sabotaged leaks, it could dramatically heighten European concerns about Russian energy supplies to the continent, which many nations continue to depend on despite a struggle to find other sources since Moscow’s invasion in World War II.
Read the full story below:
Explosions detected near Russian gas pipeline after leaks caused by ‘sabotage’
“There is no doubt that they were explosions,” says the expert
Thomas Kingsley September 27, 2022 3:20 pm
1664287246
The results of the first partial vote show that more than 96% in the occupied areas of Ukraine favor joining Russia
The first partial results of voting in four Russian-held regions of Ukraine showed an overwhelming majority of residents in favor of joining Russia, Russian state news agency RIA said on Tuesday, following so-called referendums that Kyiv and the West have denounced it as a farce.
Voting took place over five days in four regions – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson – which represent around 15% of the Ukrainian territory.
The exercise paves the way for President Vladimir Putin to annex the four zones, after which he could describe any attempt by Ukraine to retake them as an attack on Russia itself. On September 21 he said he was ready to use nuclear weapons to defend Russia’s “territorial integrity”.
Ukraine has repeatedly warned that Russia’s annexation of additional territory would destroy any chance of peace talks, while the West has condemned the referendum as a sham and would not recognize it.
Thomas Kingsley September 27, 2022 3:00 p.m
1664286046
The seismograph rose twice on the day of the Baltic pipeline leaks
A seismograph on the Danish island of Bornholm twice recorded spikes representing ground tremors on Monday, the day the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines suffered dramatic pressure drops, Germany’s geological research center GFZ said .
The seismograph recorded near silence until 00:03 GMT (2:00 local time) when there was a spike representing ground shaking followed by a continuous waveform. The pattern repeated itself at 5 p.m.
It was first reported that Nord Stream 2 had been depressurized on Monday afternoon. The depressurization of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline was reported in the early evening, shortly after the second of two peaks.
Thomas Kingsley September 27, 2022 2:40 pm
1664284846
The images show bubbles rushing to the surface of the Baltic Sea above Nord Stream 1 and 2
Denmark’s armed forces released images on Tuesday showing bubbles rushing to the surface of the Baltic Sea above the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, and said the largest gas leak had caused surface disturbances of more than d ‘1 kilometer in diameter.
(Danish Defense Command)
(Danish Defense Command)
Gas bubbles from Nord Stream 2 leak onto the surface of the Baltic Sea
(via REUTERS)
Thomas Kingsley September 27, 2022 2:20 p.m
1664283659
UN says Russia abuses prisoners in Ukraine
Russian forces and their armed affiliates have subjected Ukrainian prisoners to extrajudicial killings, sexual violence and other abuses, the UN human rights office said in a report on Tuesday.
The report, issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), found some rights violations by both sides in the conflict, but expressed particular concern about the ill-treatment of civilians and prisoners of war by part of Russian forces and affiliated armed groups.
Russia and Ukraine did not immediately comment on the report, drawn up between February 1 and July 31 and based on the work of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU). Both countries have denied allegations of human rights violations.
“The ongoing armed attack by the Russian Federation against Ukraine and the associated hostilities have resulted in a serious human rights situation throughout the country. The armed conflict has resulted in a wide range of human rights violations affecting both civilians as combatants,” the report says.
Thomas Kingsley September 27, 2022 2:00 p.m
1664282972
Ukraine urges EU to impose economic sanctions on Russia over annexation votes
Ukraine urged the European Union on Tuesday to impose economic sanctions on Russia to punish it for staging annexation votes in four occupied regions, saying Moscow’s measures would not change Ukraine’s actions on the battlefield.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, after talks in Kyiv with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, said personal sanctions would not be enough punishment for the referendums, which Russia saw as prelude to the annexation of four regions of Ukraine.
“It will not be enough to limit ourselves to cosmetic measures … the milder the reaction to the so-called referendums, the greater Russia’s motivation to escalate and annex more territories,” Kuleba told reporters.
“In the content of the eighth (EU) sanctions package, we will see how seriously the EU takes the issue of referendums.”
Thomas Kingsley September 27, 2022 1:49 p.m
1664281281
Kazakhstan struggles to accommodate Russians fleeing war
Kazakhstan is struggling to take in tens of thousands of Russians who have fled their homeland since Moscow announced a military mobilization last week, officials say, but the government in Almaty has no plans to close its border.
Russian men, some with families, began crossing the world’s second-longest land border in droves after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the mobilization of reservists last week amid a stalled military campaign in Ukraine.
Russians do not need a visa or even a passport to enter Kazakhstan, only their Russian identity documents. The Russian language is also widely spoken in the country, which is home to a large ethnic Russian minority.
However, the sudden influx of Russians – the government says nearly 100,000 have crossed the border since the mobilization was announced – has stretched the infrastructure of the large but sparsely populated nation. Hotels and hostels are full and rent has skyrocketed.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, whose administration has refused to support what Russia calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine, called for patience and tolerance.
Thomas Kingsley September 27, 2022 1:21 p.m
1664279412
The Kremlin claims that sabotage cannot be ruled out as a reason for the Nord Stream damage
The Kremlin said Tuesday it was not ruling out sabotage as the reason for damage to the Russian-built Nord Stream gas pipeline network that led to unexplained leaks in the Baltic Sea.
The pipelines, designed to bring gas from western Siberia’s Yamal Peninsula directly to Germany, Europe’s largest economy, have been the focus of an energy war between Russia and its traditional European customers over the conflict in Ukraine .
Asked whether sabotage was the reason for the damage, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: “Right now no option can be ruled out.”
The Kremlin, Peskov said, was very concerned about the situation, which required a quick investigation, as it is a problem that affects the energy security of “the entire continent.”
“This is very worrying news. In fact, we are talking about some damage of an unclear nature to the gas pipeline in Denmark’s economic zone,” Peskov said. “This is an issue related to the energy security of the entire continent.”
Thomas Kingsley September 27, 2022 12:50 pm
1664278212
The EU Commission says it is premature to speculate on the cause of the Russian pipeline leaks
The European Commission said on Tuesday it was premature to speculate on the cause of the leaks in the two Nord Stream pipelines designed to carry gas from Russia to Europe.
“At this stage, it is very premature to speculate on what the causes are… Member states are investigating this matter, we will continue to be in close contact with them, but this is not really the time to speculate,” a Commission spokesman said . a regular EU press conference.
The Commission is closely following the evolution of the leaks and, so far, sees no impact on the security of Europe…