Ambassador Deborah Bronnert arrived at the Foreign Office shortly after 10:30 local time (0730 GMT) as a small crowd chanted anti-British slogans and held placards reading “Britain is a terrorist state”. Bronnert was inside the ministry for about 30 minutes, a Reuters reporter at the scene said. There was no immediate statement from either Russia or Britain on the details of what was discussed. Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) and British Ambassador to Russia Deborah Jane Bronnert (L) at the Kremlin in Moscow on February 5, 2020. Alexey Nikolsky | Afp | Getty Images Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Wednesday that the ambassador would be summoned over Saturday’s drone attack in Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Britain says the allegations are false. After the drone attack, Russia temporarily suspended participation in a UN-brokered Black Sea deal. Russia views Britain as a particularly insidious Western power, which President Vladimir Putin says is plotting to destroy Russia and destroy its vast natural resources. After Russia invaded Ukraine, Britain, along with the United States and the European Union, imposed some of the toughest sanctions in history and provided weapons to help Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry said the British navy blew up the Nord Stream gas pipelines, a claim London said was false and meant to distract from Russian military failures in Ukraine. — Reuters
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station operating on diesel generators, again
This photo taken on September 11, 2022, shows a security person standing in front of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Enerhodar, Zaporizhzhia, amid the war in Ukraine. Stringer | Afp | Getty Images The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine is back on with diesel generators after it was disconnected from the Ukrainian grid following Russian bombing, Ukraine’s nuclear power company said on Thursday. In a Telegram post, Energoatom said shelling by Russian forces on Wednesday had destroyed the last two high-voltage lines connecting the plant to the Ukrainian grid and that Russia wanted to connect the plant to the Russian grid. “At 23:04 [Wednesday], the power station went into full blackout mode. All 20 diesel generators have started operating,” Energoatom said. Although the plant’s six reactors are shut down, electricity is still needed for cooling and safety functions. Energoatom said it had 15 days of fuel to run the diesel generators while the plant is in blackout mode. “The countdown has begun. Due to the occupation of the factory and the intervention of Rosatom [Russia’s state nuclear energy company] representatives in its operation, the Ukrainian side’s opportunities to keep the ZNPP in safe operation are significantly limited,” he said. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was seized by Russian forces earlier this year and has been a pawn in the war, with both sides accusing each other of bombing and endangering the plant, which is Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. International experts in the field of atomic energy have warned that the possibility of disaster is high, given the active hostilities around and near the plant. — Holly Elliott
Ukraine’s first lady urges the West to provide more weapons ahead of winter
First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska during the opening night of Web Summit 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal on November 1, 2022. Rita Franka | Nurphoto | Getty Images Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska on Wednesday called on Western leaders to provide more military support as the country continues to defend itself against Russian aggression. Zelenska urged the international community not to be war-weary, saying allied countries must fight the aggressor together. “I understand that these are outside the duties of first ladies, but we are already outside normal protocols because of the war,” Zelenska told CNBC’s Karen Cho, according to a translation. “Ukraine needs more weapons, more military aid,” he said, calling specifically for air defense missiles. — Karen Gilchrist
Russia’s economic decline deepens in September
Wholesale food market in Moscow. Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images Russia’s monthly economic slump continued in September with gross domestic product falling 5 percent year-on-year, according to the latest data from Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development, according to state-run Interfax news agency. The decline in economic output in September followed a 4% year-on-year drop in August and a 4.3% decline in July. According to the ministry, the decline in Russia’s GDP in the third quarter of 2022 amounted to 4.4% year-on-year, after a 4.1% decline in the second quarter and a 3.5% growth in the first quarter. Russia has been laboring under the weight of international sanctions on key sectors, businesses and individuals for months after its invasion of Ukraine, although it was subject to other economic sanctions before the war for other reasons, such as alleged US election meddling, cyber attacks and its attachment. of Crimea in 2014. Russian consumers face a significant cost of living as inflation remains high, at 12.9% in October, although it is gradually easing (inflation was 14.3% in August) after the central bank raised interest rates to deal with price increases. Russia has insisted that its economy is able to weather the challenges posed by sanctions and, as a major exporter of oil and natural gas, has managed to maintain revenue streams from exports of these commodities to economic partners in Asia, particularly India and the China. However, Western agencies such as the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the IMF and the World Bank expect Russia’s economic decline to be significant this year. Between them, they have predicted that Russia’s GDP could fall by at least 5.5% in a best-case scenario to nearly 9% in a worst-case scenario. For its part, the Russian ministry forecast that Russia’s economic output would fall by 2.9 percent in 2022 and by 0.8 percent in 2023, before rising by 2.6 percent in 2024 and 2025, Interfax reported. — Holly Elliott
Russian military leaders reportedly considered using tactical nukes on Ukraine
CNBC’s Shep Smith examines reports that Russian military leaders recently discussed the possibility of using a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine.
Putin confirms restart of Black Sea Wheat Initiative, but says Russia may withdraw again
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a press conference following the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) leaders’ summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, October 14, 2022. Ramil Sitdikov Sputnik via Reuters Russian President Vladimir Putin said that despite Russia’s return to the Black Sea Initiative, he “reserves the right to withdraw” from the agreement if Ukrainian guarantees are not met. Russia suspended its participation in the grain deal over the weekend after it claimed a Ukrainian drone attacked its Black Sea fleet in Crimea. Ukraine did not claim responsibility for the attack, which some Ukrainian officials blamed on Russian soldiers mishandling their own weapons. “We asked for assurances and guarantees from the Ukrainian side that nothing like this will happen in the future,” Putin said at a meeting with the permanent members of the Russian Security Council. “I have instructed the Ministry of Defense to reiterate our full participation in this project,” he added. “At the same time, Russia reserves the right to withdraw from these agreements if these guarantees are violated by Ukraine.” Early in the war, Russia relied on its Black Sea fleet to launch missiles deep into Ukraine, but the fleet was put back on the defensive after a series of embarrassing attacks in the spring by Ukrainian forces. Before last weekend’s drone attack, analysts noted that Russia already appeared to be laying the rhetorical groundwork for pulling out of the deal, before reversing course this week. The grain is critical to feeding populations in some of the world’s poorest countries, and a return to a full blockade could have caused famine for millions in Asia and the Middle East. Putin also pledged to deliver “for free” the “entire volume” of grain delivered by Ukraine to poorer countries if Russia pulls out of the deal in the future. – Rocio Fabbro
Agricultural shipments continue from Ukraine as grain deal continues
Video Credit: Burak Kara | Getty Images The bulk carrier Asl Tia is seen passing through Turkey’s Bosphorus Straits, carrying 39,000 metric tons of sunflower oil from Ukraine on Wednesday. The ship is on its way to China. Russia on Tuesday joined a deal that provides safe passage for grain shipments from Ukraine, which Russia invaded in February. Russia has severely disrupted Ukraine’s agricultural production and before the deal blocked outbound shipping. The agreement was brokered by Turkey and the UN. The Kremlin announced it was pulling out of the deal over the weekend after Ukraine attacked warships from its Black Sea fleet. However, the loaded trucks sailed on and Moscow rejoined the deal on Wednesday. Ukraine is one of the world’s largest grain exporters, with nations in Asia, Africa and beyond depending on its food shipments. — Ted Kemp
Turkey’s Erdogan tells Zelensky to increase diplomatic efforts to end war
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of the ruling AKP Party (AKP) during a meeting at the parliament in Ankara, Turkey, May 18, 2022. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE PROVIDED BY THIRD. NO RESALES. NO FILES. MANDATORY CREDIT Murat Cetinmuhurdar Reuters Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Ukrainian President…
