Ukraine Strikes Two Russian Shadow Fleet Tankers
Ukrainian naval drones hit two sanctioned tankers in the Black Sea as they headed to a Russian port to load up with oil destined for foreign markets, an official said on Saturday, as Kyiv tries to pile pressure on Russia's vast oil industry.The two oil tankers, identified as the Kairos and Virat, were empty and sailing to Novorossiysk, a major Russian Black Sea oil terminal, the official at the Security Service of Ukraine told Reuters.Naval drones could be seen speeding towards hulking tankers followed by powerful explosions that caused fires on the vessels…
Oil Prices Fall as Ukraine Signals Support for Peace Deal
Oil prices fell over 2% on Tuesday after Ukraine hinted that an intense diplomatic push by the U.S. administration to end Russia's war against it could be yielding fruit.An end to the war in Ukraine could pave the way for the unwinding of Western sanctions against Moscow's energy trade, potentially adding more supply at a time when prices have been battered by expectations of a glut next year.Brent crude futures fell $1.45, or 2.3%, to $61.92 a barrel by 11:19 a.m. ET (1619 GMT), while U.S.
Port of Tuapse Resumes Fuel Exports After Two-Week Pause
Russia's Black Sea port of Tuapse resumed oil product exports last week after a two-week suspension following Ukrainian drone attacks, while the local oil refinery has restarted processing crude, according to two industry sources and LSEG data.According to the sources and ship-tracking data, the Gambia-flagged tanker Sandhya left Tuapse on November 17 with around 30,000 metric tons of gasoil and headed towards the Suez Canal.Another tanker, the Malawi-flagged Satna, loaded around 30,000 tons of gasoil at the Tuapse terminal on November 18.The fuel loaded on those two vessels had been refined i
Novorossiysk Falls Behind Schedule on Loadings Due to Jetty Damage
Crude loadings at Russia's Novorossiysk port are about two to three days behind schedule as damage caused by a November 14 Ukrainian attack has limited the capacity of a key jetty at the terminal, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.The Black Sea port of Novorossiysk and a neighbouring Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal, through which one fifth of Russia's crude exports flow, suspended oil exports on Friday after the attack. Novorossiysk resumed them on Sunday.The Ukrainian attack on the Sheskharis oil harbour at Novorossiysk damaged berths 1 and 1A…
Novorossiysk Port Resumes Oil Trade after Ukrainian Attack
Russia's Novorossiysk port resumed oil loadings on Sunday after a two-day suspension triggered by a Ukrainian missile and drone attack, two industry sources said and LSEG data showed.Novorossiysk and a neighbouring Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal temporarily suspended oil exports - equivalent to 2.2 million barrels per day, or 2% of global supply - on Friday. Global oil prices rallied by more than 2% on supply fears after the attack.Two industry sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity that loadings had resumed.According to LSEG data…
Ukrainian Attack Pauses Novorossiysk Oil Exports
Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk temporarily suspended oil exports, equivalent to 2.2 million barrels per day, or 2% of global supply, on Friday, according to industry sources, after what local authorities said was a Ukrainian drone attack.The attack, one of the biggest on Russian oil-exporting infrastructure in recent months, comes after Ukraine in August stepped up strikes on Russian oil refineries in an attempt to degrade Moscow's ability to finance its war.Global oil…
Poland Working on Deal to Import US LNG to Support Ukraine, Slovakia
Poland is working on a deal to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the U.S. to supply Ukraine and Slovakia, an agreement that would further tighten the European Union’s ties to American energy, according to two sources familiar with the negotiations.Officials expect to announce a joint declaration to boost imports after a meeting of the parties at a transatlantic energy conference in Athens later this week, one of the sources said."After that, discussions would follow on terms for supplies to Slovakia," one of the sources told Reuters.
Russia to Partially Ban Diesel Exports Until Year-End Following Drone Attacks
Russia is set to introduce a partial ban on diesel exports until the end of the year to tackle shortages following a spate of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries but traders said they expected the measure to have little impact on fuel flows.Russia's restrictions will only be applied to exporters who do not produce the fuel and whose share of exports is small.Around three-quarters of diesel exports are shipped by producers via the North and South pipelines which lead, respectively, to Baltic and Black Sea ports.
Two Dead in Ukrainian Drone Strike on Novorossiisk Port
A Ukrainian drone strike on the southern Russian port city of Novorossiisk killed two people and wounded six on Wednesday, regional authorities said on Telegram.The city's top official declared a state of emergency at Novorossiisk, Russia's major sea port on the Black Sea where oil and grain export terminals are located, but later said there was no danger to inhabitants and guests as servicemen had completed their tasks.Russian state news agency TASS reported that there was no damage to port infrastructure or ships at Novorossiisk following the attack.The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC)'s of
Russia Warns of Cutting Oil Output Following Drone Attacks
Russia's oil pipeline monopoly Transneft has warned producers they may have to cut output following Ukraine's drone attacks on critical export ports and refineries, three industry sources said on Tuesday.Kyiv has stepped up attacks on Russian energy assets since August in a bid to impede Moscow's war effort in Ukraine and reduce the Kremlin's revenues as attempts to secure an end to the conflict through peace talks have stalled.Oil and gas revenues have accounted for between a third and half of Russia's total federal budget proceeds over the past decade…
Belize-Flagged Bulk Carrier Damaged Near Odesa
A civilian bulk carrier flying the flag of Belize has sustained minor damage after hitting an unknown explosive device near the Ukrainian seaport of Chornomorsk, two sources told Reuters on Sunday.Chornomorsk is a large and strategically important seaport in Ukraine's southern Odesa region, one of three Ukrainian ports operating in a maritime transport corridor linking the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea.Sources reported that the crew of the NS PRIDE were unharmed and that the ship continued on its way.
Russian Oil Supplies to Hungary and Slovakia Halted After Ukraine Attack
Russian oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia could be suspended for at least five days after a Ukrainian strike on a facility in Russia, Hungarian and Slovakian officials said on Friday, in a widening of the fallout of Russia's war in Ukraine.Russia and Ukraine have stepped up attacks on each other's energy infrastructure, hitting Ukrainian domestic heating supplies, Russia's Druzhba pipeline and other facilities, over the past few weeks as U.S. President Donald Trump has pushed…
Ukraine Strikes Russian Port in Astrakhan
The Ukrainian military said it struck the port of Olya in Russia's Astrakhan region on Thursday, hitting a ship with drone parts and ammunition from Iran.Russia uses the port as an important logistics hub for the supply of military goods from Iran, the Ukrainian military said in a statement on Friday.(Reuters - Reporting by Anastasiia Malenko; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
Ukraine Hits Crimea Bridge With Underwater Explosives
Ukraine's SBU security service said on Tuesday that it had hit the road and rail bridge linking Russia and the Crimean peninsula below the water level with explosives.In a statement, the SBU said it had used 1,100 kilograms (2,420 pounds) of explosives that were detonated early in the morning and damaged underwater pillars of the bridge, a key supply route for Russian forces in Ukraine in the past.The official Russian outlet which provides regular status updates on the bridge said its operation had been suspended for about three hours between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m.
EU, Britain Press Ahead with New Russia Sanctions Without Trump
The EU and Britain announced new sanctions against Russia on Tuesday without waiting for Washington to join them, a day after President Donald Trump's phone call with Vladimir Putin brought about neither a ceasefire in Ukraine nor fresh U.S. sanctions.London and Brussels said their new measures would zero in on Moscow's "shadow fleet" of oil tankers and financial firms that have helped it avoid the impact of other sanctions imposed over the war."Sanctions matter, and I am grateful to everyone who makes them more tangible for the perpetrators of the war…
Ukraine: G7 Price Cap on Russian Oil Should be Lowered
Ukraine wants the Group of Seven advanced economies to reduce its price cap on Russian seaborne oil to $30 per barrel, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said on Tuesday.The current G7 price cap, imposed over Russia's war in Ukraine, is $60 per barrel."The oil price cap, from our point of view, our position (is the) reasonable price cap (is) 30 dollars," Sybiha told reporters in English during a visit to Brussels.The European Union and Britain announced new sanctions on Russia on…
Ukrainian Navy Retrieves and Defuses Russian Bomb from the Black Sea
Ukraine's navy said it retrieved and defused a Russian FAB-500 aviation bomb at the shores of Odesa on Tuesday (April 29).Reuters was not able to verify the location or date of the Navy's footage from underwater and from the controlled explosion, however, a Reuters correspondent filmed the Navy retrieving the bomb from the sea.Demining experts retrieved the bomb from a depth of 20 meters, transported it to the shore and detonated it, the Navy said.Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk said until 2023, Russia dropped bombs from aircrafts in Ukrainian territorial waters used by ships to export grain.
Senator Wicker Warns “Putin Cannot Be Trusted in Peace Talks”
In a stark address to the U.S. Senate, Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, delivered a firm warning to American policymakers and defense stakeholders: Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot be trusted to negotiate a legitimate or lasting peace in Ukraine.Speaking amid ongoing peace talks in Riyadh and growing speculation about sanctions relief, Wicker sought to dispel any optimism about the Kremlin’s intentions. “President Putin values peace as little as any piece of shredded paper he would deceitfully sign,” Wicker said.
US to Evaluate Russian Demands for Black Sea Ceasefire
The United States will evaluate demands made by Russia after Moscow had agreed "in principle" to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire with Ukraine in the Black Sea to allow safe navigation, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday.The U.S. announced separate Black Sea agreements with Ukraine and Russia on Tuesday - following talks in Saudi Arabia - to ensure safe navigation, stop attacks, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes.Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. U.S.
Ukraine and Russia: Accusations of Breaking Truce Agreements
Ukraine and Russia accused one another on Wednesday of flouting a truce on energy strikes brokered by the United States, and conditions set by Russia cast doubt over a planned ceasefire in the Black Sea.The United States announced separate agreements with Ukraine and Russia on Tuesday to pause their strikes in the Black Sea and against each other's energy targets, but the rhetoric from Moscow and Kyiv suggested they remained far apart.President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the U.S. side told Kyiv the deals were effective as soon as they were announced.
With Sea, Energy Truce in Play, Washington to Seek Easing Russia Sanctions
The United States reached deals on Tuesday with Ukraine and Russia on a truce in the Black Sea and a pause in attacks on energy facilities, with Washington also pledging to push for the lifting of some financial sanctions against Moscow.The separate agreements are the first formal commitments by the warring sides since the inauguration of Donald Trump, who is pushing for an end to the war and a rapid rapprochement with Moscow that has alarmed Kyiv and European countries.The U.S.
Deal Facilitated to Enable Black Sea Shipping
Russia said on Tuesday the U.S. had agreed to help it lift restrictions on food, fertilizer and shipping companies in exchange for agreeing to a maritime security deal in the Black Sea.The United States further said it had also agreed with Russia and Ukraine to implement a ban on military strikes on each other's energy installations.If implemented, the deals would represent the clearest progress yet towards a wider ceasefire that Washington sees as a stepping stone towards peace…
U.S. Wants Black Sea Ceasefire
A U.S. delegation will seek progress toward a Black Sea ceasefire and a broader cessation of violence in the war in Ukraine when it meets for talks with Russian officials on Monday, after discussions with diplomats from Ukraine on Sunday.The so-called technical talks come as U.S. President Donald Trump intensifies his drive for a halt to Russia's three-year-old assault against Ukraine. Last week, he spoke with both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.A source briefed on the planning for the talks said the U.S.