Washington and its partners are considering additional sanctions if the parties do not observe a ceasefire, with political and technical negotiations between Europe and the U.S. intensifying since last week, Reuters' source said.
The Kyiv Independent’s contributor Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke spent a day with a mobile team from the State Emergency Service in Nikopol in the south of Ukraine as they responded to relentless drone, artillery, and mortar strikes from Russian forces just across the Dnipro River. Nikopol is located across from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the city of Enerhodar.
Peter Szijjarto's announcement came after Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) allegedly dismantled a Hungarian military intelligence network operating in Zakarpattia Oblast.
Moscow and Washington discuss the potential resumption of Russian gas supplies to Europe, among other issues related to the peaceful settlement of Russia's war in Ukraine, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed to the Russian state-run Interfax news agency.
"This is a historic decision, as weapons for Ukraine will be purchased at the expense of the proceeds from frozen Russian assets through the European Peace Fund," Denys Shmyhal said.
The approval marks a key step in international efforts to hold Moscow accountable for what is considered the gravest violation of international law committed against Ukraine.
Oil storage tanks stand at the RN-Tuapsinsky refinery, operated by Rosneft, in Tuapse, Russia, on March 22, 2020. (Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Russian oil refineries reduced refining operations by 4% in January 2024 compared to the same period the year before, partly due to "increased drone attacks," the Russian state-controlled media outlet Kommersant reported on Feb. 6, citing "sources familiar with industry statistics."
Multiple drone strikes have been reported on oil depots and refineries in Russia in January, including Bryansk, Oryol, and Leningrad oblasts, amid increasing claims of drones targeting Russian energy infrastructure.
According to Kommersant, an attack on an oil refinery in Tuapse in Krasnodar Krai on the night of Jan. 25 caused a 30% drop in output. Local residents reported seeing multiple drones flying over the region before and after the fire at the oil depot.
The attack contributed to the Russian energy company Rosneft reporting a 10% drop in oil refining compared to a year earlier, Kommersant said.
However, other refineries, such as those owned by Bashneft, a company controlled by Rosneft, increased refining output by 13%, Kommersant noted.
Bloomberg reported on Jan. 23 that Russian seaborne crude oil exports hit their lowest level in two months in the wake of an alleged attack on the Novatek gas plant near St. Petersburg overnight on Jan. 21.
Novatek is Russia's largest independent natural gas producer and exports oil products to international markets.
A fire also broke out at the Volgograd oil refinery overnight on Feb. 3. The local authorities claimed the fire started when a downed drone fell onto the site of the refinery.
Ukrainian authorities rarely comment on attacks on Russian soil.
Dinara Khalilova
