Live blog: Kiev-Moscow potential deal thwarted by UK pressure — Kremlin

Saturday, April 27, 2024

1804 GMT — Ukraine failed to sign an agreement with Russia during talks in Istanbul in 2022 due to “direct pressure” from the UK, according to the Kremlin spokesman.

"(Head of the Ukrainian delegation David) Arakhamia talked about this, the rest is speculation," Dmitry Peskov said at a news briefing in Moscow.

Arakhamia revealed in a November 2023 interview with Ukraine's 11 TV channel that former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson advised Ukrainian authorities against signing any agreements with Russia and encouraged them to continue fighting.

Currently, there are no grounds for resuming negotiations, however, Russia is consistent in its commitment to resolving disputes through peaceful means if an opportunity arises, Peskov said.

He called potential sanctions targeting Russian liquefied natural gas supplies as "efforts to exclude Russia from energy markets."

“This is beneficial for the US and for a number of other countries. This will mean more expensive gas for end users, primarily the industrial sectors of Europe," the Kremlin spokesman said.

He reiterated Russia's determination to counter such “unfair” competition through legal means.

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1900 GMT — Zelenskyy says Russia targeted gas facilities that secure EU supply

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a Russian attack on his country's energy sector had targeted gas facilities important for supply to the European Union.

Russia continues to supply gas to the EU via Ukraine under a transit deal with Russia's Gazprom that is set to expire in December. Ukraine's energy minister said last month that Kiev had no plans to extend or replace the arrangement with Moscow, which pays Ukraine to export its gas to the EU.

"The main target was the energy sector, various facilities in the industry, both electricity and gas transit facilities, in particular, those gas facilities that are crucial to ensuring safe delivery to the European Union," Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address.

1625 GMT — EU criticises Russia over control of German, Italian firms' units

The European Union criticised Russia for putting subsidiaries of one Italian and one German company under the "temporary external management" of a Gazprom entity, saying the move underscored Moscow's disregard for international norms.

Russian President Vladimir Putin placed the Russian subsidiaries of Italian water heating company Ariston and German appliance maker BSH Hausgeraete under JSC Gazprom Household Systems, according to a decree published on Friday.

"These measures, targeting legitimate economic activities, are yet another proof of Russia’s disregard for international law and rules," a spokesperson for the EU's diplomatic service said in a statement.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the government had summoned Russia's ambassador to provide clarification about the issue, adding that Rome was coordinating with Germany and European Union officials in Brussels.

The EU statement said the moves confirmed that Russia, which is waging war on Ukraine, was "an unpredictable actor also in the economic field, and has created a business climate which is arbitrary and hostile towards foreign investors".

1318 GMT –– Russia steps up offensive on east Ukraine village, Kiev says its forces holding out

Russia has sent more troops to Ocheretyne in eastern Ukraine to reinforce an offensive there, but Kiev's forces largely hold the village and expect US arms deliveries to turn the tide in their favour, the Ukrainian military said.

Russian troops have slowly advanced through at least half a dozen villages on the eastern front since capturing the bastion town of Avdiivka in February as exhausted Ukrainian forces rationed dwindling artillery supplies.

Fierce fighting raged in Ocheretyne on Saturday but Nazar Voloshyn, spokesman for the eastern command, said Ukrainian forces had the situation "under control" and controlled two-thirds of the village.

Ukrainian troops, he said, were able to shell the part of the village seized by Russian forces and that "the enemy is blocked and measures are being taken to kick them out."

1117 GMT –– Ukraine issues new appeal for air defences, fast weapon supplies

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a new appeal for air defences and fast weapons deliveries after the latest Russian strike on the Ukrainian energy sector.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine needed sufficient quantities of air defence and other weapons to protect its cities and prevail on the frontline.

"Terror should always lose, and anyone who helps us stand against Russian terror is a true defender of life," he said.

0925 GMT — No grounds for peace talks with Ukraine: Kremlin

There are currently no grounds for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine due to Kiev's formal refusal to negotiate with Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree in 2022 formally declaring the prospect of any Ukrainian talks with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin "impossible", while leaving the door open to talks with what he called "another president of Russia."

0803 GMT — Ukraine says hit two Russian oil refineries in drone attack: defence source

Ukrainian drones hit two Russian oil refineries and a military airfield in a large-scale overnight attack, a Ukrainian defence source has said.

The source said Ukraine hit "key technological facilities" at two refineries in the southern Krasnodar region.

Russian officials had earlier reported a fire at a refinery in the town of Sloviansk-on-Kuban and state media said the facility had partially halted production.

0654 GMT — Ukraine reports injuries after 'massive' Russian attack

Two people were wounded after Russia launched a "massive attack" on energy infrastructure in Ukraine overnight from Friday to Saturday, Kiev's armed forces and local authorities have said.

"Russian armed forces staged another massive missile attack on Ukraine," the army said in its regular morning update.

An 82-year-old woman and a 39-year-old man were wounded, Oleksandr Vilkul, president of the defence council of the central city of Kryvyi Rih, said on Telegram.

"The enemy used various types of missiles, including ballistic missiles, and Kharkiv, Kherson, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk regions were hit," the army said.

"Some of the missiles were destroyed by Ukrainian air defence. Several people were wounded, no deaths reported so far."

0547 GMT — Ukrainian air defence downs 21 of 34 Russian missiles: Ukrainian air force

Ukraine's air defence has shot down 21 of 34 Russian missiles fired in an overnight attack, the commander of the Ukrainian air force said.

Mykola Oleschuk said Ukrainian fighter planes, air defence missile units, mobile fire groups and means of radio-electronic warfare were involved in repelling the Russian missile strikes.

0557 GMT — Russia shoots down 68 Ukrainian drones: Russian defence ministry

Russia has intercepted 68 Ukrainian drones overnight from Friday to Saturday in its southern Krasnodar region and over annexed Crimea, the defence ministry announced.

The ministry said 66 of the drones were shot down over Krasnodar and the other two over the Crimean peninsula.

0446 GMT — Russia hits Ukrainian energy facilities in three regions: Kiev

Russia has attacked Ukrainian energy facilities in three regions, damaging equipment and injuring at least one energy worker, Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko said.

Galushchenko said on the Telegram messaging app that the Russian strikes targeted the Dnipropetrovsk region in central Ukraine and the western regions of Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk.

For our live updates from Friday, April 26, click here.