(Bloomberg) — Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first visit to Belarus for more than three years after authorities in the Ukrainian capital said drone attacks inflicted more damage on critical infrastructure.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said drones had been used against Kyiv early Monday, urging the leaders of the UK and other countries to provide more air defense and weapons.
As the meeting in the Belarusian capital got under way, European nations reached a deal to cap natural gas prices at €180 ($190) per megawatt hour, ending months of political wrangling over whether to intervene in an energy crisis that’s risked pushing the region into a recession.
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Key Developments
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Putin Begins Talks With Ally Lukashenko in Rare Belarus Trip
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EU Agrees to Cap Gas Prices at €180 Temporarily to Ease Crisis
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Canada to Pursue $26 Million in Assets From Russia’s Abramovich
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Europe’s $1 Trillion Energy Bill Only Marks Start of the Crisis
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Putin’s Ambitions Put Finland’s Troops and Tanks Back In Vogue
On the Ground
The city of Kherson, liberated in November, is under permanent fire, including from S-300 missiles, Halyna Luhova, the head of the southern city’s military administration, said at a briefing. Ukrainian troops intercepted 18 out of 23 drones launched by Russia overnight at Kyiv, the Ukrinform news agency said, citing the city’s military authorities.
(All times CET)
EU Agrees to Cap Gas Prices at €180 (4:41 p.m.)
European officials had been seeking an agreement on the cap before the arrival of severe winter weather drives up gas demand for heating and electricity.
The so-called gas market correction mechanism, designed to prevent extreme price swings, will apply from Feb. 15. It’s significantly lower than an earlier proposal by the European Commission, which wouldn’t have prevented the spikes that the region saw this year as Russia curbed gas supplies.
Putin, Lukashenko Begin Talks in Minsk (4:05 p.m.)
Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko began talks in Minsk as the Russian leader called the neighboring nation “our ally in the truest sense of the word.”
Putin said in televised comments at the start of the meeting in the Belarusian capital that while strengthening economic ties would be the main focus of the discussions, the two sides would also discuss further military-technical cooperation.
Zelenskiy Says Russia Attacked Kyiv With Iranian Drones (3:14 p.m.)
Ukraine’s capital was attacked early Monday by drones from a new batch of such weapons that Russia got from Iran, Zelenskiy said at a meeting of the leaders of the United Kingdom’s Joint Expeditionary Force.
Russia constantly uses missiles and drones for strikes, primarily on the Ukrainian energy sector, he said. US intelligence has accused Iran of supplying Russia with drones used to target Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure, something the Kremlin denies.
Zelenskiy Calls on UK, Nordics to Provide Air Defense (12:53 p.m.)
Zelenskiy called on the leaders of the UK, as well as of the Nordic and Baltic countries, to provide air defense and weapons to fight against Russian missiles.
“Please maintain the same level of cooperation,” he said in a video address. “I call on you to do everything to accelerate the defeat of the occupiers.”
Russian Defense Industry Intensified Production, Official Says (12:53 p.m.)
Factories are working around the clock to meet the Russian military’s demand for tanks and munitions, Vladimir Artyakov, first deputy CEO of the state defense corporation Rostec, said in an interview on Rossiya 24.
Production of tanks grew significantly and of ammunition “tens and hundreds of times,” Artaykov said, without providing any data. Russia boosted output of its Iskander short-range missile systems, he said.
Russia has also stepped up production of drones, Artyakov said, adding that the military had too few of them when it started the invasion of Ukraine “and they were not particularly given importance.”
Ukraine Sees Significant Electricity Shortages (11:30 a.m.)
Ukraine has been facing a “significant” shortage of electricity since Sunday, as low temperatures have raised pressure on the power grid, which is already under strain from Russian attacks according to the CEO of its operator NPC Ukrenergo Volodymyr Kudrytskyi.
The country faced another drone attack from Russia early in the morning, following a large-scale missile attack last week that further damaged the nation’s infrastructure, which affected electricity, heating and water supplies all over the country.
But Russia failed to destroy the grid and Ukraine’s power engineers are still able to fix damages relatively quickly, Kudrytskyi said.
Ukrainian Energy Is Affected by Drone Hits, Ukrenergo Says (11:30 a.m.)
The Ukrainian energy system is in a difficult condition after Russian drones have been attacking grid infrastructure across the country, the energy company Ukrenergo said on Telegram.
Most problems with power supply were in the country’s central and eastern regions as result of some drones hitting their targets and Russian shelling near the front line. Despite the damage, the Ukrainian energy system continues to function at a stable frequency and in sync with the European continental grid.
Germany’s Rheinmetall Expands Ammunition Output (11:30 a.m.)
German defense contractor Rheinmetall AG is expanding ammunition production to ease supply bottlenecks created by the government’s support for Ukraine.
The decision to invest more than €10 million ($10.6 million) in a new production line in Unterluess near Hamburg is the latest sign that Russia’s war on Ukraine is reshaping Europe’s defense industry. The facility is expected to produce ammunition for the 30 “Gepard” self-propelled, anti-aircraft guns that Germany agreed to supply to Ukraine’s armed forces.
Austria Probes Suspected Russian Spy (11:30 a.m.)
Austrian authorities are investigating the son of a former Russian secret-service official for suspected espionage.
The intelligence service in Vienna said the 39-year-old Greek citizen met foreign officials several times, passing on information on Austrian foreign and security policy, as well as its potential reaction to Russia’s war on Ukraine. They seized surveillance equipment and devices used to detect wire-tapping, as well as phones, tablets and laptops, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.
New Strikes Further Damage Kyiv’s Crucial Infrastructure (7:35 a.m.)
Russian drone attacks on Monday morning further damaged crucial infrastructure of Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. He said that maintenance workers are already trying to stabilize the situation with electricity supplies and heating.
Sirens first blared at 2 a.m. local time, continuing for hours in a city still confronting power and water shortages, with temperatures below zero.
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