News on the Ukraine war: Charles Michel announces further EU sanctions after Bucha

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EU Council President Charles Michel

Photo: OLIVIER HOSLET / EPA

This article will be continuously updated.

According to reports from Butscha, EU Council President Michel has announced further sanctions

11:32 a.m .:

EU Council President Charles Michel was “shaken” on Twitter by pictures of dead civilians in the Ukrainian city of Bucha near Kiev and announced a reaction from the European Union.

The EU supports Ukraine and NGOs to gather evidence of persecution before international courts.

"More EU sanctions and support are on the way," wrote Michel, writing of "atrocities committed by the Russian army."

From the Kiev suburb, the Ukrainian army distributed videos showing dozens of dead bodies in civilian clothes on the streets.

Journalists also reported dead civilians.

The reports caused horror in Ukraine and beyond.

Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podoliak tweeted: "They weren't in the military, they didn't have weapons, they didn't pose a threat. (...) How many such cases are happening in the occupied territories right now?"

London blames Russia for sea mines

11.16 a.m .:

The British Ministry of Defense has blamed Russia for sea mines that have been sighted in the Black Sea.

The mines are "almost certainly due to Russian activities in the area," sources in London said.

The danger posed by the mines shows how Russia affects the interests of civilian or neutral parties.

In recent weeks, shipping associations have repeatedly called for a sea corridor for merchant ships to be removed from the war zone.

The Association of German Shipowners (VDR) spoke on Wednesday of at least 60 stranded ships in Ukrainian ports.

According to British intelligence, Russian naval forces continue to blockade the Ukrainian coast.

The Russian troops are also able to go ashore with amphibious vehicles.

However, such a mission is increasingly "highly risky" because the Ukrainians have had time to prepare, the statement said.

Russia also reports rocket fire on fuel depots near Odessa

10:53 a.m .:

According to Russia, it has attacked targets near the Ukrainian port city of Odessa on the Black Sea.

The Ministry of Defense in Moscow said rockets were fired from ships and planes at an oil refinery and three fuel depots.

According to Russian information, a total of 51 military facilities were hit in Ukraine on Sunday night, including four command posts and two missile defense systems.

The information from the war zone cannot be verified independently.

However, the city council of the metropolis with around one million inhabitants had previously reported fires in the city area.

Ukrainian media published photos showing smoke over Odessa.

It should therefore have given no injuries.

According to the city council, "some missiles" were intercepted by anti-aircraft defenses.

Russian gas continues to flow through Ukraine

10.11 a.m .:

According to its own statements, the Russian state-owned company Gazprom is continuing its gas deliveries through Ukraine to the west on a large scale.

Regardless of the war, 108.4 million cubic meters are to be pumped through the neighboring country's pipeline system this Sunday, according to the company, according to the Interfax news agency.

According to Russian information, this corresponds to the quantity ordered.

According to Gazprom, it was 108.1 million cubic meters on Saturday.

The contractually possible maximum utilization is 109 million.

This means that Russian deliveries continued at the weekend after the payment was switched to rubles.

President Vladimir Putin had instructed that gas should only be sold to Western countries for rubles, which they strictly rejected.

As a result, Putin issued a decree obliging Western customers to open a ruble account with Gazprombank and process payments through it.

Ukraine derives important revenues in the billions from the transit of Russian gas.

Moscow dampens hopes of top meetings

9:35 a.m .:

Russia has dampened Ukraine’s hopes for an early summit meeting between the two Presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy to end the war.

There is still a lot to do, Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinski told the Interfax news agency.

"Unfortunately, I don't share Arachamiya's optimism." The Ukrainian chief negotiator, David Arachamiya, had previously spoken of a possible meeting between the two heads of state.

The drafts of the relevant documents are already so far advanced that a "direct talk between the two heads of state" is possible.

Although Ukraine had hinted at concessions, Medinski was sharply criticized in his own country.

Russia's chief negotiator has now stressed that Russia's position on Crimea and Donbass is "unchanged".

Ukrainian ambassador settles accounts with Steinmeier

8.50 a.m .:

The Ukrainian Ambassador Andriy Melnyk accused Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier of being too close to Russia against the background of the Ukraine war.

"For Steinmeier, the relationship with Russia was and remains something fundamental, even sacred, no matter what happens, even the aggressive war doesn't play a major role," Melnyk told the "Tagesspiegel".

Read more here.

Poland is open to stationing American nuclear weapons

8:26 a.m .:

Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister has criticized the federal government’s policy in relation to the Ukraine war.

"I am very dissatisfied with the behavior of the German government," said Jarosław Kaczyński, who is also chairman of the national conservative PiS party, to the "Welt am Sonntag".

»Germany could supply more weapons.

And Germany could speak out in favor of an oil embargo in the EU.« Read more here.

Dozens

of civilians killed in Kiev suburb

7:42 a.m .:

From the Kiev suburb of Bucha, which Russian troops have cleared in the past few days, images are now becoming known that suggest possible war crimes: Videos distributed by the Ukrainian army show dozens of civilian-clad corpses on the streets of the town.

Journalists who visited the recaptured city of Bucha, northwest of Kyiv, also reported civilian deaths lying on the streets.

Read more here.

hba/dpa/Reuters/AFP