Russia-Ukraine war top developments: Russian gas supply to Poland resumes; blasts heard in three Russian provinces near Ukraine border

On the 63rd day of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the rift between Europe and Moscow deepened, with the Kremlin allegedly threatening to cut gas supply to several of Ukraine’s European allies. Polish and Bulgarian officials said Tuesday that Moscow is cutting off natural gas deliveries to their countries due to their refusal to pay in Russian rubles, a demand made President Vladimir Putin, Reuters reported.
But while Russian gas supply to Poland was halted briefly during the early hours of Wednesday, it was restored soon after, according to the European Union network of gas transmission operators. Gas supply to Bulgaria was lowing for the time being, Vladimir Malinov, executive director of Bulgarian gas network operator Bulgartransgaz, told Reuters.
With Germany looking out for sources of oil outside Russia, Poland has said that it will help. “We are ready to express our solidarity with Germany…and support them in their complete departure from oil, from Russian resources,” German climate miner Anna Moskwa said on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a series of blasts were heard in the Russian city Belgorod near the country’s border with Ukraine in the early hours of Wednesday, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov told Reuters, and an ammunition depot in the province was on fire. No casualties were reported. Earlier this month, Russia had accused Ukraine of attacking a fuel depot in Belgorod with helicopters and opening fire on several villages in the province.
In other news, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said that Russian troops risked causing an accident with their “very, very dangerous” seizure of the Chernol nuclear power plant in Ukraine. Stating that the situation is still “not stable”, he added that nuclear authorities have to keep on alert.
(With agency inputs)