Negotiations continue – as does the fighting
Russia’s special operation in Ukraine continues for 37 days. In Mariupol, a cleansing operation is underway around the Azovstal plant, where the forces of the national battalions and the Armed Forces of Ukraine are concentrated. The confrontation is intensifying near the encircled Kharkov and Chernigov. The main direction is the eastern one – the main grouping of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is concentrated on the line of contact, which has been strengthening there for 8 years. An equally fierce “battle” is going on around Russian gas: Putin’s demand to Europe to pay for it in rubles caused a sharp reaction in Europe, but there was no official refusal from the EU. We are broadcasting events around Russia and Ukraine online.
11:15 According to TASS, the infrastructure of the Belgorod airport was not damaged after air strikes on the city’s oil depot, which were carried out by two helicopters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Anastasia Golodova, a spokeswoman for the airport, said this.
11:10 A draft law on criminal liability for illegal crossing of the border of Ukraine during martial law has been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada. The perpetrators will be punished with terms of 3 to 5 years in prison. For those liable for military service, reservists and representatives of state bodies, from 5 to 10 years are provided, and if weapons are used – up to 15 years.
10:55 The Ministry of Defense also reports the destruction of six military facilities, including five ammunition depots, with the help of high-precision air-launched weapons.
10:50 A fire at an oil depot in the Belgorod region will not affect the provision of fuel to the region and prices for consumers, the Ministry of Energy said.
10:43 Russian air defense shot down a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter and 8 drones, the Defense Ministry said.
10:34 In the Belgorod region, as a result of shelling by Ukrainian helicopters, one of the printing houses was damaged. Employees were evacuated, TASS reports.
10:19 Over the past day, almost 19 thousand more refugees arrived in Russia from the DPR and LPR, RIA Novosti reports. In total, since the beginning of the special operation, 548.11 thousand refugees from Donbass have crossed the border of the Russian Federation, including 110.29 thousand children.
10:10 The dollar and euro continue to decline. The dollar currently costs 83.15 rubles, the euro – 92.1.
10:00 The security services of the Kursk region were transferred to high alert after air attacks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Belgorodthat happened last night.
9:40 Meanwhile, the head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, said that the liberation of Mariupol was “a matter of a matter of days.”
9:15 Ukraine has told the IAEA that it has regained control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. This is stated on the website of the agency. At the same time, the Ukrainian side adds that the Russian military still remain at the Chernobyl site, but they allegedly have to leave it.
Today, April 1, negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will resume online. The Russian side reacted ambiguously to Kyiv’s proposals. Foreign Minister Lavrov called the results of the negotiating round in Istanbul a positive move forward, the power bloc made it clear: the special operation will continue, the main direction now is the liberation of Donbass, that is, an attack on the largest military group in Ukraine, the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the line of contact.
Starting today, European importers of Russian gas, in order to receive it, will have to open foreign currency and ruble accounts in Gazprombank – to credit foreign currency to one, after converting by the bank on the Moscow Exchange, to receive rubles to the second account, the money will go to Gazprom from it. Formally, according to this scheme, it will not be necessary to rewrite contracts, because the initial payment is in euros and dollars. Gazprombank is not under European sanctions (but is under US sanctions).
So far, there is no understanding of how the EU countries will act. Germany and France took the innovation negatively. But giving up Russian gas will be fatal for European economies, at least for the foreseeable future.
Meanwhile, the West is preparing new sanctions against Russia, as the active part of the special operation continues.
We follow the events online.