The Russian company Gazprom announced the suspension of gas supplies to Latvia

First modification: 07/30/2022 – 15:31

This Saturday, July 30, the gas giant Gazprom notified in a few lines that the service to Latvia has been interrupted indefinitely because the Baltics relapsed into “violations of gas selection conditions.”

In the midst of the energy crisis and the concerns that spread throughout Europe, this adds a new episode to the issue after threats and special requirements from Russia, such as payment in rubles.

In other news, the UK Ministry of Defense warned about Moscow’s intention to hold referendums in the territories that have been occupied by its troops in Ukraine.

In addition, the British intelligence chief stated that the invaders are “running out of strength”; Zelensky rejected the accusations regarding the attack on the Donetsk detention center and called for Russia to be recognized as a state sponsor of terrorism.

These are the most important news of the war in Ukraine on Saturday, July 30:

• 7.11 (BOG) Russian casualties in Kherson counteroffensive

The Ukrainian army reportedly killed dozens of Russian soldiers and disrupted two ammunition depots in clashes in the Kherson region where kyiv is staging a counteroffensive.

Meanwhile, they also interrupted rail traffic on the Dnipro River, one of the main routes for Moscow troops to stock up on supplies and can cause isolation.

In addition, they listed that more than a hundred rival militias fell and another seven tanks were destroyed in different battles in Kherson, Mikolaiv and Odessa.

• 6.57 (BOG) Russia is running ‘out of strength’, says British intelligence chief

In a brief comment on Twitter, replicating the report published on Saturday, Richard Moore – head of Britain’s MI6 foreign intelligence agency – remarked that Moscow’s troops are weakening.

“Running out of strength…” he wrote in the terse tweet that cited a British Defense Ministry post that described the Russian government as “increasingly desperate” and detailed thousands of soldier casualties.

• 6.18 (BOG) Gazprom cut off supplies to Latvia

The Russian gas giant announced this Saturday that gas shipments to the Baltic country will be suspended due to “violations of the purchase conditions,” the corporation said in the official statement.

The drastic decision was made amid tensions between Riga and Moscow over the provision of supplies. In the middle of this month, the Latvian Parliament resolved that imports from the Russian company would be totally prohibited from the first day of 2023. After Gazprom’s announcement, the Latvian government assured that it does not see major impacts for the country.

This also comes after Latvia notified that Russian gas imports would be made through an intermediary company.

It was not the first conflict with Russia regarding the acquisition of energy. Months ago, together with Estonia and Lithuania, they refused the demand to pay the charges in rubles.

• 6.01 (BOG) UK says Russia seeks to hold referendums in occupied areas

The Ministry of Defense made its regular update on Twitter and there it detailed that from Moscow they are preparing to hold referendums in the occupied territories in southern Ukraine by the end of the year.

“Local authorities are likely to coerce people into revealing personal details in order to compose voting records,” he said.

• 5.40 (BOG) Zelensky calls for Russia to be recognized as a State Sponsor of Terrorism

The Ukrainian president stressed that the bombing of the prisoner detention center that took place on Friday and left more than 50 dead and a hundred wounded was a premeditated act by Moscow forces.

“It was a deliberate Russian war crime, a mass murder of prisoners of war,” he said in his daily report. The incident in the Olenivka settlement continues to cause conflicting accusations between kyiv and Russia.

Volodymyr Zelensky urged the international community to recognize Moscow as a “sponsor of terrorism” state. “I especially appeal to the United States of America. A decision is needed and it is needed now, ”he added in the nightly video of him.

The pro-Russian separatists, as well as the Russian Ministry of Defense continue to deny responsibility and blame Ukraine for what happened. On the other hand, Ukrainian officials pointed out that the Russians did it to hide the torture of the imprisoned.

With EFE, Reuters and AFP