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LAST UPDATE | 27 Jul 2022
RUSSIAN ENERGY GIANT Gazprom drastically cut gas deliveries to Europe via the Nord Stream pipeline today to about 20%of its capacity, German authorities said.
The Russian state-run company had announced on Monday that it would choke supply to 33 million cubic metres a day, half the amount it has been delivering since service resumed last week after 10 days of maintenance work.
EU states have accused Russia of squeezing supplies in retaliation for Western sanctions over Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops have continued to resist invading forces and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he hopes the UK’s Boris Johnson will not ‘disappear’ from politics.
Gazprom cited the halted operation of one of the last two operating turbines for the pipeline due to the “technical condition of the engine”.
The German economy ministry dismissed the explanation, saying there was “no technical reason for a reduction of deliveries”. Government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann spoke on Wednesday of a “power play” by Moscow.
Klaus Mueller, head of Germany’s energy regulator, said gas flows had dropped to 20 percent of the pipeline’s capacity on Wednesday from 40 percent.
“We’ll see today if it stays that way,” he said in a statement.
In parallel, Italian energy major Eni said Gazprom had informed the group it would only deliver “approximately 27 million cubic metres” on Wednesday, down from around 34 million cubic metres in recent days.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov blamed EU sanctions for the limited supply.
“Technical pumping capacities are down, more restricted. Why? Because the process of maintaining technical devices is made extremely difficult by the sanctions adopted by Europe,” Peskov said.
“Gazprom was and remains a reliable guarantor of its obligations… but it can’t guarantee the pumping of gas if the imported devices cannot be maintained because of European sanctions
Zelenskyy has said he does not want Boris Johnson to “disappear” after he stands down as prime minister.
The Ukrainian President noted he has “no right” to interfere in the UK’s domestic affairs but said he would like Johnson to “be somewhere in politics in a position to be someone”.
Zelenskyy made his remarks during an interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored, where he appeared alongside his wife, First Lady Olena Zelenska.
“I don’t want him to disappear, but the decision is in the hands of the British people. But I am sure that whatever position he is going to take, he is always going to be with Ukraine. This is from the heart.”
Zelenskyy was also asked about Tory leadership hopefuls Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss and what message he would like to send them.
He said: “What can I say? I would be happy to cooperate very closely like we used to have with Boris. The same close relationship with the UK and Ukraine.
“I know those two candidates are very respectful, and they have the support of the people and the society from the UK.
“We know about this support. We know about the positive strength of those leaders. We would be happy to cooperate with whoever is elected as leader.
“I used to have contact with Liz Truss. Whoever is the leader, the highest level of support will be provided from the Ukraine.”
Ukrainian troops have struck a strategic bridge essential for Moscow to supply its forces occupying the country’s south as Russia pounded several areas in Ukraine with rocket and artillery strikes.
The Ukrainian military struck the Antonivskyi Bridge across the Dnieper River late on Tuesday, the deputy head of the Moscow-appointed administration for the Kherson region, Kirill Stremousov, said.
He said the bridge was still standing but its deck was pierced with holes, stopping vehicles from crossing.
The near-one-mile bridge sustained serious damage in Ukrainian shelling last week, when it took multiple hits.
It was closed for trucks but had remained open for passenger vehicles until the strike late yesterday.
Ukrainian forces used the US-supplied Himars multiple rocket launchers to hit the bridge, Stremousov said.
The bridge is the main crossing across the Dnieper River in the Kherson region.
The only other option is a dam at the hydroelectric plant in Kakhovka, which also came under Ukrainian fire last week but has remained open for traffic.
Knocking the crossings out would make it hard for the Russian military to keep supplying its forces in the region amid repeated Ukrainian attacks.
Early in the war, Russian troops quickly overran the Kherson region just north of the Crimean Peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014.
They have faced Ukrainian counter-attacks, but have largely held their ground.
The Ukrainian attacks on the bridge in Kherson come as the bulk of the Russian forces are fighting in Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland of Donbas, where they have made slow gains in the face of ferocious Ukrainian resistance.
Supplies of US weapons such as Himars have helped slow the Russian advances.
Zelenskyy claimed that Russian military losses have climbed to nearly 40,000, adding that tens of thousands more were wounded and maimed. His claim could not be independently verified.
The Russian military last reported its losses in March, when it said that 1,351 troops were killed in action and 3,825 were wounded.
Russian forces kept up their artillery barrage in the eastern Donetsk region, targeting towns and villages, according to regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko.
In Bakhmut, a key city on the front line of the Russian offensive, the shelling damaged a hotel and caused casualties, Kyrylenko said. A rescue operation was under way.
Amid Moscow’s push to take full control of the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Russian have gained marginal ground northeast of Bakhmut, according to the Washington DC-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War.
Russian forces, however, are unlikely to occupy significant additional territory in Ukraine “before the early autumn,” the institute added.
Additional reporting by AFP
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It’s not rocket science lads, season ban for anyone hiring undocumented workers. Simples.
@canuckandgo:
Undocumented? Illegal workers
@Just Some Guy: Same thing – but yeah, let’s call a spade a spade. Presumably these boat owners are being prosecuted though? Right?
Pendency at it’s best…
@canuckandgo: but sorry i thought controlling your borders was racist and we were all supposed to feel sorry for US businesses without a supply of illegal immigrants? So it happens in ireland and now it is bad?
how can our fishermen make any money with dutch spanish and huge russian factory ships taking all our fish? we got severly screwed by the Eu.
@gregory: And the solution to that is modern slavery?
I wondered how long it would take for someone to make it their fault.
@Tony Canning: the solution is that our politicians stop giving all our fish for free to foreign countries. We’re losing huge money because our politicians don’t stand up for us. At least Norway told the Eu to take a hike and they’re making huge money as a result.
@gregory: Making excuses is worse than just being an apologist.
@Tony Canning: Address the point. This stealing of our fish is costing this country huge money since we joined the Eu. Our politicians are not representing our National Interest.
@gregory: at least acknowledge that hiring illegals and working them like that is wrong .. I agree with your other points though.
@Suzie Sunshine: how much are the russian and spanish factory ship workers getting paid?
@gregory: I am addressing the point. You’re advocating for slavery and using the big bad EU as an excuse.
@Tony Canning: the big bad eu just facilitated the transfer of irish jobs to romania avg salary €500/mth. post below. the Eu doesnt’t give a damn about Ireland.
@Suzie Sunshine: suzie, true but we cant compete w slave wages on russian spanish factory ship. lets get our fisheries back – it should be a billion dollar industry here and pay fair wages to all. The Norwegian system is an excellent example!
@gregory: pathetically conflating a low wage economy with slavery now….
Irish fishing industry worth 850million a year. Irish fishing industry worth 9billion a year to Eu This is the real problem.
@Sinbad the sailor: 100% and why the hell Irish people don’t protest about this issue is beyond me. Our politicians are useless. Look how many jobs we could have created a major industry like the Norwegians. It is time our politicians were held to account instead of the people lying down like sheep.
@Sinbad the sailor: I heard someone describe fish in Irish waters as European fish as due to migration they may only be passing through Irish waters. Don’t know if that is a fair comment?
@Finn Bowe: if this is true leave them wait till said fish have migrated through Irish waters.
Modern day slave galleys
@Tony Hardwicke: speaking of slave wages….over 200 workers lost their jobs in longford recently at a key supplier of components to the oil and gas industry-Cameron who was based in ireland for nearly 40 years . the workshop workers in ireland were getting around €3k/month. The manufacturing operation was moved to another Eu country where the workers get paid about €3/hour or €500/month all aided and abetted by the Eu with Infrastructural Grants to offset the over €100mln cost of building a state of the art factory. So dont talk to me about the Eu or a level playing regarding wages. the Eu represents big business not equality.
@gregory: it was moved to Romania.
I am a fishermen and last year we were broken down we had two lads on contract and 5 Irish lads so for 3 months the contract lads got there money every week but we get nothing can’t even get the dole we are self employed but yet we can get sacked I started a new job and we are having problems with boat so I have not made a wage in 6 weeks I was on a boat when Mr Fleming came aboard check on out crew so he went to the foreign lads first and ask were they be treated OK and everything was and then I asked Mr Fleming how come you didn’t ask the Irish crew men which was five men and his answer was there Irish and they are OK it’s a total joke we work big hours and some times we don’t even make a wage cause of weather or other problems who is there to look after us
You get paid by what you catch. If it’s a poor week fishing wages will be poor , if it’s a good week fishing wages will be good simple science, if the don’t like it no one is stopping them from quitting their not chained to the boats like slaves, it’s a tough industry as it is without all this bolloxology .
@Sinbad the sailor: ‘simple science’, Russian for, ‘I’m trolling from St. Petersburg’.
@Sinbad the sailor: True that. I know of three Filipino fishermen doing prawns in The Porcupine all year round. Rarely come off the boat. £1200/month paid into the bank for herself and the family, and all are delighted.
@Grotmaster: no doubt they’d be even more delighted if their wages reflected the hours they work.
If we’re going to even try to pretend that we live up to the most basic standard of decency, we have to give these fishermen a decent working wage. It’s not all about dangling a line over the bow of a boat, or dropping a net in the water, it’s a very dangerous job at times, and I’m speaking from personal experience from when I was younger.
We have all of these big brave comments from people hiding behind keyboards, giving out about immigrants, and the same people probably cream their pants trying to get a slice of toast out of the toaster with a fork. It’s pathetic.
@Grainne Abdulaziz: there illegal they should be stopped by the authorities long before the even get on a boat.
@Sinbad the sailor: There was never a time when illegal fisherman haven’t been on fishing vessels. I don’t think the general public give a damn how the fish on their plate is caught. I also notice a lot of syntax errors in your comments which strongly indicate you are not, yourself, an Irish-born fisherman. This doesn’t bother me personally, but can I ask are you operating on a valid licence and registered vessel in Irish waters?
@Grainne Abdulaziz: Grainne: our rescue services were out twice to rescue russian workers on factory ships recently – address that why we are giving our fish away. If you’re so worried about honours English i suggest you avoid this site and logic dictates foreign fishing interests are not going to support any of the arguments he posted which are to stand up for our National Interest which I would suggest is more important than your policing of the English language idem you are missing the point entirely. Look at the big picture.
@Grainne Abdulaziz: I’m Irish born, a fisherman of 20 years . Own my own boat employ only Irish crew. The industry has been good financially to us . In my 20 years I’ve only worked with Irish crew. Yes there is greedy fishermen who did or do employ illegal workers. But let not that tarnish the vast majority of good genuine Irish fishermen who work in this hard industry with the little quota we’re giving .
@Sinbad the sailor: You’re about as Irish as a pineapple, yourself and gregory are trolski trolski from Petrograd, dobra!
@Grainne Abdulaziz: well with a surname like yours I think the odds of me been more Irish than you are in my favour, plus we’re involved in the industry so if all you can question how Irish we are you know very little on the issues in the fishing industry
Load of old carp.
Fishing is always tough no matter where you are from.
Undocumented, illegal, or with work permit anyone not being paid for their labour is a slave. Slavery was abolished many years ago. Let’s not reintroduce it by sleight of hand.
@John Campbell: How much are the workers on those russian and spanish factory ships being paid ?
Construction ask restaurant trade is no different but it was OK for I phone Joan to do it through Jobs bridge.
Remember it was 39 hrs per week for €50.
have your say