UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights
New EU sanctions against Russia include €5 billion in restrictions
The restrictions included in the 12th package of EU sanctions against Russia are intended to hit the Russian military-industrial complex primarily, Bloomberg writes.
The prohibition may include the supply of welding machines, chemicals and technologies used for military purposes, as well as software licensing. Furthermore, restrictions may affect imports of Russian metals and aluminum products.
According to Politico, the most striking aspect of the new package is the EU's ban on Russian diamonds. According to diplomats, the bloc also intends to introduce additional measures to combat sanctions circumvention.
One-third of the world's diamonds come from the Russian mining company Alrosa. Earlier, the EU refrained from a ban because Belgium feared that its global diamond center of Antwerp would be affected. Belgium then pushed for a new diamond tracking system through the G7.
The G7 is still discussing the technical implementation of such an indirect ban, but the EU could still move forward with its ban under this arrangement, another EU diplomat said. Discussions in EU countries on the European Commission's proposal could last from one week to the end of the year, two diplomats said.
In total, the new EU sanctions package against Russia may encompass over 100 individuals and dozens of legal entities. There is also consideration of prohibiting the employment of Russians in “sensitive” sectors and repatriating Russian assets within the European Union.
As a reminder, the European Union has imposed 11 packages of sanctions against Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
European Commission will publish a report on 8 November with a recommendation to start negotiations on Ukraine and Moldova's joining the EU, – Politico
The publication writes that the leaders are preparing to start formal accession negotiations regarding Ukraine and Moldova next month, but also fear that the EU will expand without any coherent plan for effective functioning while insisting on reforming the bloc.
In particular, with "technical" reservations, Ukraine and Moldova need to fulfill a number of conditions, including establishing a strong and independent judiciary and implementing anti-corruption measures.
Ukraine has reportedly launched ATACMS missiles targeting Crimea, as mentioned by Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi in an interview with The Economist. According to Zaluzhnyi, the first strikes involving long-range American missiles against Russian positions on the temporarily occupied peninsula occurred on October 30.
The recent scandal regarding the purported demise of Putin was reportedly orchestrated to assess the response of both Russian society and the political elites. It is believed to be a tool intended to exert influence on Putin and may be part of a specific scenario, as suggested by Yusov, a representative of the GUR (Main Intelligence Directorate).
Yusov also referred to such stories as "a valuable subject for observation" from Ukraine's perspective.
Energy companies turn to Ukraine to store surplus gas, the Financial Times says.
In anticipation of peak demand during the winter months, EU natural gas storage is nearing full capacity. According to Gas Infrastructure Europe, the EU’s chambers are now almost 99 % full, surpassing Brussels’ target of 90% storage capacity by November.
The risk of a gas shortage in Europe is low for this winter, barring any major unplanned supply disruptions or long, deep cold snaps that hit Europe and Asia at the same time,” said Natasha Fielding, head of European gas pricing at Argus, a price reporting agency.
Ukraine has offered low tariffs for gas storage, becoming an alternative for European companies, which in turn may keep the price of blue fuel from rising.
A combine harvester exploded in a field on the outskirts of Snihurivka, resulting in injuries to two individuals, aged 62 and 56. Tragically, one of the victims suffered the traumatic amputation of both legs, while the other declined hospitalization after a medical examination, as reported by the State Emergency Service.
Ukrainian H&M stores are set to resume operations in November this year, as announced by the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba.
Residents of the occupied city of Mariupol are expressing widespread dissatisfaction, claiming that Russia has failed to fulfill its promises of rebuilding their homes, according to journalist Denis Kazansky.
Local residents have reported that the budget allocated for reconstruction was reduced, resulting in construction work coming to a halt. Now, people are being asked to cover the costs themselves, and in the best-case scenario, they receive a "compensation" of 100,000 rubles (approximately $1,000). However, this assistance is not provided to everyone.
Russia simply did not have sufficient resources to fulfill its pledged commitments.