Ukraine Latest: Sabotage caused Nord Stream leaks, says Sweden
A Swedish investigation into breaches of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines found explosive remains and concluded that the cause was “gross sabotage”.
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(Bloomberg) — A Swedish investigation into breaches of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines found explosive remnants and has concluded that the cause was “gross sabotage.”
Pope Francis, meanwhile, said the Vatican is available to do “everything possible” to mediate, in an interview with Italian newspaper La Stampa. He also said that the Holy See is developing a network of relationships that can help bring the parties together to find solutions.
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President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said that only the return of territory taken by Russia will allow an end to the war, and his allies are under growing pressure to deliver more anti-aircraft weapons. Kyiv is enduring long periods without power after attacks on critical energy infrastructure earlier this week.
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(See RSAN on Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.)
Important developments
- Grains extend losses as Ukraine says Black Sea deal to go ahead
- Nord Stream explosions were caused by sabotage, Sweden concludes
- Zelenskiy says no peace until Ukraine gets Crimea, Donbas back
- Polish blast puts focus on Ukraine’s need for stronger air defenses
- Repair crews Dodge Bullets, patch cord to keep Ukraine online
On the ground
Ukrainian troops repelled Russian attacks in Luhansk and in the Donetsk regions in the past 24 hours, military staff based in Kyiv said. At the same time, Russia continues to shell and carry out airstrikes. Key infrastructure facilities were hit by attacks in cities in Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk regions, as well as Mykolayiv region and Odesa. Ukraine’s air defense forces intercepted four cruise missiles, two guided air missiles and five disposable drones made by Iran in the past 24 hours.
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(All times CET)
Swedish Probe ends Nord Stream crime “Sabotage” (10:00)
The cracks in the gas pipelines Nord Stream 1 and 2 were caused by “gross sabotage”, according to a statement from Sweden’s security service after an investigation. Damaged sections will continue to be analyzed to see “if anyone can be made a suspect and later charged,” it said.
– The analysis shows traces of explosives on several of the foreign objects that were found, says prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist in a separate statement, adding that the location in the Baltic Sea is “thoroughly documented”.
The pipeline, which crosses the Baltic Sea to Germany from Russia, has been the focus of an investigation by authorities in Sweden after two leaks were discovered in the Nordic nation’s exclusive economic zone in late September.
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EU officials inspect restored bridge (9.30am)
European Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis and Deputy Director-General Katarina Mathernova were in Ukraine on Friday, visiting the bridge in the village of Stoianka near Kyiv that was damaged early in the invasion and renovated with EU help. They were accompanied by Ukraine’s Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov.
Russia still hopes for prisoner swap deal with US: Tass (08:40)
Moscow remains hopeful that it will be able to reach an agreement to exchange Viktor Bout, a convicted arms dealer held in a US prison, for one of several Americans imprisoned in Russia, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, according to Tass.
He did not specify when an agreement could be reached. The two sides have been discussing a possible exchange for months as the United States has requested Brittney Griner, a WNBA basketball star who was moved to a prison colony in the Russian region of Mordovia this week to serve a nine-year drug sentence.
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On the question of possible diplomacy with the United States on Ukraine, Ryabkov said that Russia has nothing to talk about with Washington because of the huge gap between their positions.
Second known Russian soldier escapes: Guardian (08:15)
A Russian soldier identified as Nikita Chibrin has requested political asylum after landing in Madrid, the Guardian reported.
The 27-year-old said he spent more than four months in Ukraine as part of the 64th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade, a unit accused of committing war crimes in the Kyiv region in March, according to the newspaper.
Another Russian serviceman is known to have fled the country after taking part in the invasion, the Guardian said.
Damages could exceed 100 billion dollars, says the minister (19:39)
Damage to Ukraine’s key infrastructure from Russian missile attacks since the start of the war could exceed $100 billion, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said in an interview on Bloomberg Television’s “Balance of Power with David Westin.”
The costs of restoration, including for damaged energy facilities, will be beyond the country’s budgetary financing needs, according to Marchenko, who estimated that Ukraine needs about $3 billion a month next year, down from $5 billion currently.