What to remember
- Europe is at risk of running out of gas in the winter of 2023-2024, the International Energy Agency warned on Thursday.
- Six cargo ships loaded with grain left Ukrainian ports on Thursday morning.
- The Kremlin says it is not sure it will extend the grain deal.
3:55 p.m .: Switzerland prohibits Germany from sending Swiss ammunition to Ukraine
Switzerland on Wednesday banned Germany from sending Swiss-made munitions to Ukraine for the anti-aircraft tanks Berlin plans to supply to Kyiv, which needs them against cruise missiles and kamikaze drones.
“In the name of the neutrality law and Swiss war material legislation, there is still no reason to respond positively to Germany’s request to send Swiss war material to Ukraine,” said Economics Minister Guy Parmelin in a letter to Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht.
3:47 p.m .: Bulgaria sends arms to Ukraine
Bulgaria’s parliament decided on Thursday to provide Ukraine with military assistance by sending arms after delays related to the country’s historical proximity to Russia.
Bulgaria, a NATO member, “is proving to be a worthy ally we can count on,” said Daniel Lorer, MP for the centrist Let’s Continue the Change (CC) reform party, evoking “the possibilities of modernizing” the army. .
3:25 p.m.: “No sign of undeclared nuclear activity” in Ukraine
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) claimed at this stage to have detected “no signs of undeclared nuclear activity” at three sites inspected at the request of Kyiv, which Moscow has accused of containing evidence of a “dirty bomb” preparation. to have deleted.
“Our technical and scientific assessment of the results that we have received so far has found no evidence of nuclear activity or undeclared material at these three sites,” IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi said in a statement.
3:17 p.m .: According to the UN, 10 million tons of Ukrainian grain are exported
Ukrainian food exports hit 10 million tons on Thursday thanks to the Black Sea Initiative, the UN Secretary-General welcomed and called for the extension of this grain deal that “reduces the risk of hunger in the world”.
“The Black Sea Initiative for (Ukrainian) grain exports makes a difference. And I’m pleased to announce that today the initiative has reached a new milestone,” Antonio Guterres told reporters.
2:50 p.m .: G7 wants to prevent Russia from “starving” Ukrainians this winter.
The G7 countries want to prevent Russia from “starving” and “freezing” Ukrainians this winter, said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
“We will not allow the brutality of this war to lead to mass deaths of the elderly and children, young people or families in the coming winter months,” said the minister at the opening of a meeting of G7 diplomatic leaders in Munster, in western Germany.
1:32 p.m .: Moscow warns London of “dangerous consequences” for its attacked ships:
Russia on Thursday warned the UK of “dangerous consequences” following the latest attacks on its Black Sea Fleet, in which London denies involvement despite accusations from Moscow.
During a summons from the British ambassador in Moscow, the Russian authorities made it clear that “such hostile actions by the UK could lead to an escalation of the situation, which could have unpredictable and dangerous consequences,” Russian diplomacy said.
1:20 p.m .: Europe is at risk of running out of petrol in the winter of 2023/24, the IEA warns
Europe is at risk of running out of gas in the winter of 2023-2024, the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned on Thursday, urging governments to “act immediately” to cut demand in particular.
The IEA, an agency set up by the OECD in 1974 to advise governments on their energy policies, estimates that around 30 billion cubic meters of gas could be missing next year in the event of a complete halt to supplies from Russia, but also because of China’s economic recovery.
12:20 p.m.: Exchange of prisoners between Moscow and Kyiv
Pro-Russian separatist authorities in eastern Ukraine on Thursday announced the release of 107 soldiers in a new exchange with Kyiv, which will hold the same number of prisoners.
“Today we are retrieving 107 of our fighters from Ukrainian prisons,” of whom “65 are from Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics,” one of the main leaders of the pro-Russian separatists, Denis Pushilin, told Telegram.
11:05 a.m.: The Kremlin is not sure if it will extend the grain deal
Moscow has not yet decided whether the grain agreement concluded with Ukraine will be extended, the Kremlin said. The two countries signed this agreement in July under the aegis of the UN and Turkey. It was supposed to last four months, ending on November 19th.
Russia’s decision to return to the deal, from which it briefly withdrew, “does not mean” it intends to extend it beyond November 19, its current deadline, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned. “An assessment must be made before deciding to proceed,” he added.
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 Turkish Defense Ministry, 426 boats have already followed this safe route since August 1.
9:56 a.m .: Anti-Semitism increased by the war in Ukraine, according to a report
A report by the European Agency for Fundamental Rights, published on Thursday, asserts that since the Russian invasion began, misinformation and hatred of Jews has “bloomed” on the Internet. “The risk of false narratives fuels anti-Semitism,” Russia justified its war by “misusing terms like Nazis” to refer to the government in Ukraine. “Jewish communities across Europe” have been “deeply affected” by online hate amid the Russian invasion and the Covid outbreak, the report said.
09:31: “Dirty bomb”: Moscow accuses Kyiv and its “western patrons” again
According to the Russian agency Tass, Moscow again accused Kyiv of developing a “dirty bomb” with the participation of the West on Thursday morning. “According to the available data, Ukraine is conducting works aimed at creating a ‘dirty’ nuclear charge. We believe that this process will take place with the participation of Western patrons,” said Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the Security Council of Russia. “We are very concerned about this clearly dangerous situation that threatens to turn into a global catastrophe if not stopped,” he continued.
This recurring accusation has been firmly denied by Kyiv and its western allies for several weeks. The latter suspect the Russians of looking for a pretext for a new escalation of violence in the war that began last February.
Among other allegations made this morning without evidence by Nikolai Patrushev: London and Washington are in the process of “recruiting members of international terrorist organizations to expel them for taking part in hostilities on the side of the Kiev regime,” he said. -he throws.
9.17 a.m .: The British ambassador is called to Moscow
According to The Guardian, the British ambassador to Moscow arrived at the Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday morning. She was subpoenaed after Russia brought charges against London, which it says was involved in both a drone attack on its Black Sea fleet and the sabotage of Nord Stream gas pipelines.
8.41 a.m .: 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 the previous day’s resumption of traffic was completed, Turkey’s Defense Ministry said.
The boats will use the safe humanitarian corridor in the Black Sea, which thanks to the international agreement signed in July under the aegis of Turkey and the UN, despite the conflict, has already enabled the export of 9.7 million tons of grain and other agricultural products from Ukraine .
Russia resumed participation in Ukraine’s grain export agreement on Wednesday, saying it had received “written guarantees” from Ukraine for the demilitarization of the sea corridor.
According to the Turkish Defense Ministry, 426 boats have already followed this safe route since August 1.
Visactu infographic
6:03 Grain prices down after Russia returns to deal
World grain prices, which had soared earlier in the week, began falling on Wednesday after the announcement of Russia’s return to the Black Sea Corridor Agreement, despite doubts about Moscow’s fulfillment of commitments.
Wheat was down to €340.50 a tonne on Euronext at midday, down 4.8% from Tuesday’s close. Rapeseed was down 2% to €657 per tonne and corn, very volatile, fell 1.5% to €332.75 per tonne.
Recent events led to “a lot of panic buying” by operators earlier in the week, explains Damien Vercambre, broker at Inter-Courtage. With any geopolitical shock, all concerns are raised about wheat, even though corn accounts for almost half of the grain exported by boat. “Its price increases because it is used for human consumption” and not for animal food, explains Agritel’s Sébastien Poncelet.
What to remember from Wednesday
- Russia has announced that it will resume participation in the Agreement on Ukrainian Grain Exports after receiving “written guarantees” from Ukraine about the demilitarization of the corridor used for their transportation.
- The President of Ukraine praised “the importance for the whole world” of continued Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea.
- Russian military leaders have discussed Ukraine’s nuclear option, while Moscow calls for “avoiding any confrontation between nuclear powers”.
- Another 16,000 households in Kyiv are without electricity.
6 am: Welcome to this live broadcast dedicated to the debriefing of the 253rd day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.