Europe is at risk of running out of gas in the winter of 2023-2024

13:32: Moscow warns London of “dangerous consequences” for its ships under attack:

Russia warned Britain on Thursday of “dangerous consequences” after the latest attacks on its Black Sea fleet, and London denies involvement despite Moscow’s accusations.

During the call of the British ambassador in Moscow, Russian officials made it clear that “such hostile actions by the United Kingdom could lead to an escalation of the situation and lead to unpredictable and dangerous consequences.”

13:20: Europe at risk of running out of gas in winter 2023-2024, IEA warns

The International Energy Agency (IEA) warned on Thursday that Europe is at risk of running out of gas by the winter of 2023-2024, urging governments to “take immediate action” especially to reduce demand.

The IEA, created by the OECD in 1974 to advise governments, estimates that about 30 billion cubic meters of gas could be lost next year due to a complete shutdown of supplies from Russia, as well as China’s economic recovery. their energy policy.

12:20: Exchange of prisoners between Moscow and Kyiv

The pro-Russian separatist government in eastern Ukraine announced on Thursday that it had freed 107 soldiers and would take back the same number of prisoners in a new exchange with Kiev.

Denis Pushilin, one of the main leaders of the pro-Russian separatists, said in Telegram: “Today we are returning 107 of our fighters from Ukrainian prisons”, of which “65 are from Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics”.

11:05 a.m.: Kremlin unsure about extending grain deal

Moscow has not yet decided whether to extend the grain agreement with Ukraine, the Kremlin says. The two countries signed this agreement in July under the auspices of the UN and Turkey. It was supposed to last four months, so it ended on November 19.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that Russia’s decision to return to the agreement, which it briefly withdrew from, does not mean it wants to extend the agreement beyond the current November 19 deadline. “An assessment will need to be done before a decision is made to proceed,” he said.

This agreement made it possible to unblock Ukraine’s grain exports, which were hampered by the Moscow-led offensive in that country. According to the information of the Ministry of Defense of Turkey, since August 1, 426 boats have followed this safe route.

09:56: Anti-Semitism has been fueled by the war in Ukraine, according to a report

The European Agency for Fundamental Rights said in a report published on Thursday that misinformation and anti-Semitism have “flourished” on the internet since the start of the Russian occupation. As Russia justified its war by “misusing Nazi-like terms” to brand the Ukrainian government, “false narratives risk increasing anti-Semitism.” “Jewish communities across Europe” have been “deeply affected” by online hate amid the Russian occupation and the Covid epidemic, the report said.

09:31: “Dirty bomb”: Moscow again accuses Kiev and its “Western patrons”

Moscow again accused Kiev on Thursday morning of developing a “dirty bomb” with the involvement of the West, according to Russia’s Tass news agency. “According to the available information, Ukraine is conducting work aimed at creating a “dirty” nuclear charge. We believe that this process is taking place with the participation of Western patrons.” Nikolay Patrushev, Secretary of the Security Council of Russia. “We are deeply concerned about this clearly dangerous situation, which threatens to become a global catastrophe if not stopped,” he continued.

This charge, now repeated, has been steadfastly denied by Kyiv and its Western allies for several weeks. The latter is suspected of seeking a pretext for a new escalation of violence in the war, which began last February.

Among other baseless accusations launched by this morning Nikolay Patrushev : London and Washington said they would be in the process of recruiting “members of international terrorist organizations to take part in military operations on the side of the Kyiv regime.”

9:17: The British ambassador was summoned to Moscow

According to Guardian, the British ambassador in Moscow arrived at the Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday morning. He was summoned after Russia made accusations against London. According to him, he participated in both the drone attack on the Black Sea fleet and the sabotage of the Nordstream gas pipelines.

8:41: Six cargo ships loaded with grain left Ukrainian ports on Thursday morning

Six cargo ships loaded with grain left Ukrainian ports on Thursday morning after traffic resumed a day earlier, the Turkish Defense Ministry said.

The boats will use the safe humanitarian corridor in the Black Sea, which will allow the export of 9.7 million tons of grain and other agricultural products from Ukraine despite the conflict, thanks to an international agreement signed in July under the auspices of Turkey and the UN. .

Russia resumed its participation in a Ukrainian grain export deal on Wednesday, saying it had received “written guarantees” from Ukraine on the demilitarization of the maritime corridor.

According to the information of the Ministry of Defense of Turkey, since August 1, 426 boats have followed this safe route.

6:03 am: Grain prices fall after Russia returns to accord

World grain prices, which rose earlier in the week, fell on Wednesday after Russia announced it was returning to the Black Sea Corridor deal, despite doubts about whether Moscow would meet its commitments.

Wheat was down 4.8% from Tuesday’s close at €340.50 a tonne at midday on Euronext. Rapeseed fell 2% to €657 per tonne, while highly volatile maize fell 1.5% to €332.75 per tonne.

Damien Vercambre, broker at Inter-Curtage, explains that the latest developments led to “a lot of panic buying” by operators earlier in the week. With every geopolitical upheaval, even though corn accounts for nearly half of the grain exported by boat, it is wheat that is the subject of all concern. “It costs more because it’s used for human food, not animal feed,” explains Agritel’s Sébastien Poncelet.

6:00 a.m.: Welcome to our live coverage of the 253rd day of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.