Russia says it destroyed two Ukrainian drones in the Black Sea
The Russian Ministry of Defense said in a post on the Telegram application translated via Google, that the Russian Navy destroyed two Ukrainian drones in the northwestern Black Sea, while they were heading to the Crimean Peninsula.
Russia uses the Sevastopol naval base in Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014, for its Black Sea fleet.
The Ukrainian military had previously reported cases of its naval drones hitting and sinking Black Sea Fleet ships off the Crimean peninsula.
CNBC was unable to independently confirm the developments.
-Roxandra Iordas
Russia reportedly says the EU's proposed ban on LNG imports will hurt implementers further
The Russian News Agency quoted a Foreign Ministry official as saying on Wednesday that Russia could deal with the ban imposed by the European Union on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas.
Dmitry Bereshevsky, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Economic Cooperation Department, said the proposed ban would hurt those implementing it further, leading to higher prices for European consumers and EU companies.
“The ban on imports and transit is currently being discussed within the framework of the EU structures, and will lead to another round of rising prices for raw materials, including for European consumers, and financial costs for European companies, and will create new risks for international energy security,” he added. “This will affect “It negatively affects the operation of transport and logistics corridors.”
He continued: “Once again, the imposed restrictions will directly hit those who are responsible,” adding that Russia has already redirected supplies to new markets such as China and India.
The European Union is considering imposing a ban on Russian LNG transfers as part of the fourteenth sanctions package.
– Karen Gilchrist
Ukraine says it shot down 13 drones overnight
The Ukrainian air force said it shot down 13 out of 14 drones launched by Russia overnight, according to a Google-translated update Wednesday on the messaging app Telegram.
The Ukrainian Air Force added that the attack took place over the regions of Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad and Rivne and involved Iranian-made Shahed drones.
Regional Governor Oleksandr Koval said in a separate telegram post translated by Google that falling debris in the Rivne region led to a power outage in some settlements as a result of the attack.
He added that there were no casualties and local power was restored.
CNBC was unable to independently verify developments on the ground.
-Roxandra Iordas
France's Macron said Kiev should be allowed to use allied weapons against Russian military sites
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron address the media during a press conference at Schloss Meseberg on May 28, 2024 in Gransee, Germany.
Michel Tantusi | Getty Images News | Getty Images
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday evening that Kiev should be allowed to use Western weapons against Russian military sites used to target Ukraine.
“How can we explain to Ukraine that they need to protect their cities… but they don't have the right to attack where the missiles are coming from? It's as if we are telling them we give you weapons but you can't.” “You cannot use it to defend yourself,” Macron said late Tuesday during a news conference in Meseberg, Germany.
Macron was joined by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who agreed that Ukraine should be allowed to defend its territory as long as it respects the terms of its arms suppliers.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned of dire consequences if Russia is exposed to Western weapons.
– Karen Gilchrist
Putin says the West provoked the Russian attack on Kharkiv and that Ukraine rejected peace talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that the West had provoked his country's attack on the Kharkiv region in Ukraine.
Putin said that the West ignored Russia's warnings to prevent Ukraine from striking the Belgorod border region, according to Reuters. He added that such strikes that use weapons provided by Western countries need support from Western specialists, considering that this could have serious consequences.
Putin said that it was Ukraine, not Russia, that ended previous peace negotiations without reaching a solution. He added that Russia is ready to return to the talks while Ukraine withdrew from them.
A Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.
The peace summit is scheduled to be held next June in Switzerland, which Ukraine and a number of its allies will attend. Russia has repeatedly said it will not attend such a meeting.
Putin was speaking in Uzbekistan at the end of a state visit that lasted several days. Putin met with the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, to discuss relations between the two countries. Russian state media agency RIA Novosti reported earlier that Putin and Mirziyoyev also spoke about the war in Ukraine.
-Sophie Kiderlein
The White House says the United States may impose more sanctions and export controls on Russia
The United States and its allies may use more sanctions and export controls to halt trade between Russia and China as the war in Ukraine continues, a White House official said Tuesday.
Dalip Singh, White House deputy national security adviser for international economic affairs, said countries may take measures to increase costs for Russia by using the so-called “shadow fleet” to circumvent the G7 oil price cap.
The “shadow fleet” consists of oil tankers that often have ambiguous ownership structures, frequently change their national flag registration and have very limited insurance. They aim to transport Russian oil in a way that circumvents restrictions, such as oil price caps, that other countries impose on Russian oil.
Singh said sanctions language related to financial retaliation could be expanded as Russia moves toward putting its economy on the brink of war.
-Sophie Kiderlein
