Ukraine war briefing: Kyiv condemns ‘blackmail’ by Hungary and Slovakia in energy supplies dispute

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Original article by Guardian staff and agencies

Ukraine’s foreign ministry has condemned what it describes as “ultimatums and blackmail” by Hungary and Slovakia on Saturday, after both governments threatened to stop electricity supplies to Ukraine unless Kyiv restarts flows of Russian oil. Hungary has also threatened to block a €90bn Ukrainian war loan.
Shipments of Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia have been cut off since 27 January, when Kyiv says a Russian drone strike hit pipeline equipment in western Ukraine. Hungary and Slovakia both accuse Ukraine of delaying the restart, without evidence. The Ukrainian foreign ministry said in a statement the country “rejects and condemns the ultimatums and blackmail by the governments of Hungary and the Slovak Republic regarding energy supplies between our countries”. “Ultimatums should be sent to the Kremlin, and certainly not to Kyiv.”
Slovakia and Hungary are the only two EU countries that still rely on significant amounts of Russian oil shipped via the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline over Ukraine. The issue has become one of the angriest disputes yet between Ukraine and two neighbours that are members of the EU and Nato but whose leaders have bucked the largely pro-Ukrainian consensus in Europe to cultivate ties with Moscow. The Slovak leader, Robert Fico, has accused Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy of acting “maliciously” towards his country.
Russia attacked Ukraine overnight with dozens of strike drones and ballistic and cruise missiles, focusing on energy infrastructure, officials said on Sunday. The strikes hit Kyiv and the region around the capital, the Black Sea port Odesa and central Ukraine, they said.
Powerful explosions shook Kyiv early on Sunday, after officials warned of a possible ballistic missile attack. The alert, just before 4am, urged people to take cover immediately. Moments later, several loud blasts were heard, according to reports. Authorities said air defence units were engaging drones detected over the wider Kyiv region. Kyiv mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said a woman and a child were injured in the attack.
Poland’s Operational Command said early on Sunday it had scrambled jets after detecting “long-range aviation of the Russian federation conducting strikes on the territory of Ukraine”.
The attacks on Kyiv followed explosions in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv which killed a policewoman and wounded at least 15 people in what local authorities called an “act of terror”. The blasts in Lviv occurred just after police responded to a report of a break-in at a shop in the city centre, according to officials. A first explosion struck as the initial patrol arrived, followed by a second blast moments later. “This is definitely an act of terror,” the Lviv mayor, Andriy Sadovy, said in a Facebook post.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy says “real opportunities to end war with dignity still exist”, calling for another round of talks, and hinting at a fresh leaders’ meeting. After he was debriefed on this week’s peace talks with Russia and the US in Geneva, Zelenskyy called for another round of talks to be held “very soon, as early as this February”. He said “Ukraine’s responses to the most difficult questions ahead of the next meeting are ready,” and that they still want to raise some issues at the leaders’ level with Trump and Putin. “It is the leaders’ format that could prove decisive in many respects, and Ukraine is ready for such a format,” he said.
Former British prime minister Boris Johnson says the UK and its European allies should immediately deploy noncombat troops to Ukraine to show the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, that western nations are committed to the nation’s freedom and independence. Speaking ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Johnson told the BBC that the troops should be sent to peaceful regions in non-fighting roles.
A strike by Ukraine against a major missile factory deep inside Russia wounded 11 people, officials in Russia’s Udmurt Republics said. Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed it used Ukrainian-made FP-5 “Flamingo” cruise missiles against the Votkinsk plant. Unofficial Russian Telegram channels also pointed to that site. Russia suspended flights at airports in and near the region. Ukraine also reported a strike on a gas plant in Samara, Russia.
About 2,000 people marched in Paris on Saturday, according to police, to show their support for Ukraine. European parliament member Raphael Glucksmann told Agence France-Presse there was “massive” support for Ukraine in France which “has not wavered since the first day of the full-scale invasion”. “On the other hand, in the French political class, sounds of giving up are starting to emerge. On both the far left and the far right, voices of capitulation are getting louder,” he said.

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Ukraine war briefing: Kyiv condemns ‘blackmail’ by Hungary and Slovakia in energy supplies dispute

Click any word to translate

Original article by Guardian staff and agencies

Ukraine’s foreign ministry has condemned what it describes as “ultimatums and blackmail” by Hungary and Slovakia on Saturday, after both governments threatened to stop electricity supplies to Ukraine unless Kyiv restarts flows of Russian oil. Hungary has also threatened to block a €90bn Ukrainian war loan.
Shipments of Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia have been cut off since 27 January, when Kyiv says a Russian drone strike hit pipeline equipment in western Ukraine. Hungary and Slovakia both accuse Ukraine of delaying the restart, without evidence. The Ukrainian foreign ministry said in a statement the country “rejects and condemns the ultimatums and blackmail by the governments of Hungary and the Slovak Republic regarding energy supplies between our countries”. “Ultimatums should be sent to the Kremlin, and certainly not to Kyiv.”
Slovakia and Hungary are the only two EU countries that still rely on significant amounts of Russian oil shipped via the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline over Ukraine. The issue has become one of the angriest disputes yet between Ukraine and two neighbours that are members of the EU and Nato but whose leaders have bucked the largely pro-Ukrainian consensus in Europe to cultivate ties with Moscow. The Slovak leader, Robert Fico, has accused Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy of acting “maliciously” towards his country.
Russia attacked Ukraine overnight with dozens of strike drones and ballistic and cruise missiles, focusing on energy infrastructure, officials said on Sunday. The strikes hit Kyiv and the region around the capital, the Black Sea port Odesa and central Ukraine, they said.
Powerful explosions shook Kyiv early on Sunday, after officials warned of a possible ballistic missile attack. The alert, just before 4am, urged people to take cover immediately. Moments later, several loud blasts were heard, according to reports. Authorities said air defence units were engaging drones detected over the wider Kyiv region. Kyiv mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said a woman and a child were injured in the attack.
Poland’s Operational Command said early on Sunday it had scrambled jets after detecting “long-range aviation of the Russian federation conducting strikes on the territory of Ukraine”.
The attacks on Kyiv followed explosions in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv which killed a policewoman and wounded at least 15 people in what local authorities called an “act of terror”. The blasts in Lviv occurred just after police responded to a report of a break-in at a shop in the city centre, according to officials. A first explosion struck as the initial patrol arrived, followed by a second blast moments later. “This is definitely an act of terror,” the Lviv mayor, Andriy Sadovy, said in a Facebook post.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy says “real opportunities to end war with dignity still exist”, calling for another round of talks, and hinting at a fresh leaders’ meeting. After he was debriefed on this week’s peace talks with Russia and the US in Geneva, Zelenskyy called for another round of talks to be held “very soon, as early as this February”. He said “Ukraine’s responses to the most difficult questions ahead of the next meeting are ready,” and that they still want to raise some issues at the leaders’ level with Trump and Putin. “It is the leaders’ format that could prove decisive in many respects, and Ukraine is ready for such a format,” he said.
Former British prime minister Boris Johnson says the UK and its European allies should immediately deploy noncombat troops to Ukraine to show the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, that western nations are committed to the nation’s freedom and independence. Speaking ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Johnson told the BBC that the troops should be sent to peaceful regions in non-fighting roles.
A strike by Ukraine against a major missile factory deep inside Russia wounded 11 people, officials in Russia’s Udmurt Republics said. Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed it used Ukrainian-made FP-5 “Flamingo” cruise missiles against the Votkinsk plant. Unofficial Russian Telegram channels also pointed to that site. Russia suspended flights at airports in and near the region. Ukraine also reported a strike on a gas plant in Samara, Russia.
About 2,000 people marched in Paris on Saturday, according to police, to show their support for Ukraine. European parliament member Raphael Glucksmann told Agence France-Presse there was “massive” support for Ukraine in France which “has not wavered since the first day of the full-scale invasion”. “On the other hand, in the French political class, sounds of giving up are starting to emerge. On both the far left and the far right, voices of capitulation are getting louder,” he said.