Germany maintains hope of opening dialogue between Russia and Europe on Ukraine
A German official said on Wednesday that a window for dialogue is slowly opening between Russia and the European side on Ukraine, and it is essential to establish a format that is as effective as possible while also perceived by Europeans as legitimate.
The official added that there are strong indications that the E3 Group – Germany, France and Britain – will continue to play an important role in this regard.
NATO chief in Kyiv for a surprise visit
NATO chief Mark Rutte arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday for an unannounced trip, Ukraine’s national railway operator said, after a series of large-scale fatal Russian attacks on the Ukrainian capital.
“Today at the Kyiv railway station, we are gladly welcoming NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. This visit is extremely important, just like all the previous ones, because it is a gesture of solidarity and support from the Alliance for our country,” Ukrzaliznytsia wrote on social media.
‘Russia’s Davos’ gathers in St. Petersburg after the strikes
Footage is circulating online of participants of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum gathering against a backdrop of black smoke rising from the oil depot that was struck by Ukraine overnight.
Drone strike kills 7 on bus in Russia-held eastern Ukraine, authorities say
A drone strike has killed seven people and wounded 11 as it hit a bus in Russia-occupied eastern Ukraine, Moscow-installed authorities in the Donetsk region.
The bus was hit in the Donetsk region as it travelled from Moscow to Simferopol in Crimea, a Black Sea peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014.
“In Yenakiyevo, a UAV attacked a Moscow-Simferopol coach; according to preliminary reports, seven civilians were killed,” Denis Pushilin, the head of the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine’s Donetsk region said on Telegram.
“A further 11 people sustained injuries of varying severity, and all are receiving the necessary medical care,” he added.
Russia downs dozens of drones over Leningrad region
Russia has downed 50 drones over the Leningrad region northwest of Moscow overnight, Governor Alexander Drozdenko said.
The Leningrad region is home to crucial energy export infrastructure and a major oil refinery.
Strong rouble puts intense pressure on Russian exports, Sberbank executive says
A strong rouble is squeezing Russian commodity exporters, offsetting any boost to profits from higher oil prices and needs to weaken to around 90 per US dollar to give companies some breathing space, a top Sberbank executive said.
“We also need to talk about the strong rouble, which puts significant pressure on exporters,” First Deputy CEO of Russia’s largest bank Sberbank, Alexander Vedyakhin, said ahead of Russia’s biggest economic conference in St. Petersburg.
“This affects exporters and, consequently, the budget, so the gains in dollars that companies receive from rising oil prices are largely offset by the strengthening of the rouble.”
Ukraine hits Russia’s St. Petersburg Oil Terminal, Zelensky says
Ukraine’s military struck Russia’s Saint Petersburg Oil Terminal overnight, around 1,100 kilometres from the Ukrainian border, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram.
Zelensky also said that “purely” military targets were hit at the Kronstadt base, and that another target was an enterprise in Russia’s Tambov region involved in the production of weapons, some 600 kilometres from the frontline.
“Ukraine’s plan for long-range sanctions is being implemented exactly as needed to bring peace closer,” he said on social media, posting a video of an oil depot ablaze.
Drones hit infrastructure in St. Petersburg, governor says
Drones have hit infrastructure in several districts of Saint Petersburg, causing damage and injuring several people, the city’s governor said.
The city is hosting a three-day economic conference, President Vladimir Putin’s “Russian Davos”, from Wednesday.
Ukrainian officials said the attack was aimed at disrupting the event.
Good morning and welcome to our liveblog on the developments in Ukraine and Russia.
