Ukrainians stop westward flow of Russian natural gas through hub
Ukraine has stopped the flow of Russian natural gas through one hub that feeds European homes and industry, while a pro-kremlin official in a southern region seized by Russian troops has said it would ask Moscow to annex it.
The remarks could be another sign of Russia's broader plan for Ukraine as it tries to salvage an invasion that has so far gone awry - amid concerns that the country may remain a source of continental and global instability for months, or even years, to come.
After his forces failed to quickly overrun the capital Kyiv, President Vladimir Putin shifted his focus to the country's eastern heartland of the Donbas.
But one of his commanders has suggested that Moscow's plans are broader, saying it also hopes to take control of the country's south and cut it off from the coast.
"The city of Kherson is Russia," Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the regional administration installed by Moscow, told Russia's RIA Novosti news agency.
He said regional officials wanted to make Kherson a "proper region" of Russia.
Russian-installed authorities do not always speak for Moscow, but last month Mr Stremousov ruled out returning control of the Kherson region to Ukrainian authorities.
Kherson borders Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, and its capture was one of Russia's most important successes in the war.
In 11 weeks, the war has played out on battlefields in Ukrainian towns and cities but also in energy and financial markets, as Ukraine's allies in the West have sought to deprive Russia of money needed to fund the war with sanctions and energy embargoes.
The immediate practical impact of yesterday’s gas cut-off was likely to be limited since much of the gas can be directed through another pipeline, gas analyst Zongqiang Luo at Rystad Energy said.
Preliminary flow data suggested that was already happening, though Russia's stateowned giant Gazprom indicated some drop in supply.
It said it was sending gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine in the amount of 72 million cubic metres, apparently down 25 per cent.